Teen Titans Judas among us
by gladv
Summary: this is a retelling of The Judas contract in a slightly alternate universe closer to our reality, heavily influenced by the TV show Miami Vice i do not own the titans or any other sort of brand or merchandise, what i do own however is my sense of humor, mature and immature content ahead.
1. Chapter 1

****Teen titans: Judas among us.****

 ** **Chapter 01:**** inside looking in.

'My name is Richard Grayson, to the general public I'm the adopted son of billionaire Bruce Wayne, however I'm one of the original flying Graysons, a family of acrobats which fate decided to send into early retirement. Well at least two of them, the two that really mattered to me….' , that is the most persistent thought that crosses Richard Grayson's mind every morning since he dawned the persona of Robin, former sidekick to the mythical Batman and current leader of the Teen Titans, a group of young heroes situated in the metropolitan area of jump city; although he is neither Robin nor Richard Grayson at this very moment, he is Jonathan 'johnny' Gray, a well established crook from New York dealing with motor vehicle thefts and chop shops across the east coast, looking to expand is reach into California as well. Now that the who and the what has been established it is about time to address the why.

Titans tower, the week before, early morning.

If people were to ask who or what the titans were, they would've said the following, Beast boy would be the funny guy, Raven would be the goth, Cyborg would be the jock, Starfire would be the bubbly super model and Robin would be a workaholic and believe it it's not the usual punchline of 'every time you mention work he gets drunk' rather the fact that he never stops working, case and point? He converted his quarters into a P.I's office out of a Raymond chandler's Novel completed with a fold out bed disguised as a filing cabinet.

Now being a leader of a super hero group you'd expect a certain amount of order out of a guy but nothing could be further from the truth, each wall on his room were covered with x-rays of past and present injuries he sustained on the line of duty, actual cabinets of files of solved and unsolved criminal cases not to mention piles upon piles of other cases yet to be organized and prioritized ready to topple over even if one breathes the wrong way, an office desk containing a single laptop with at least three browsers currently being pulled up with at least ten tabs being currently active and a murder board being currently used to track down a super villain named Adonis, no alias or real name attached yet, just a regular looking guy using a mechanical suit fashioned out of various car parts.

We currently find Robin laying on his bed with a condensed file with every available info currently summarized on Adonis, everything from behavior patterns, fighting techniques…. yes even dumb brutes have those surprise surprise…. and even sexual preferences, going over it again and again trying to formulate a clean and efficient way to take him down with the minimum of fuss.

As mentioned before his quarters is anything but ordinary however due to his immense concentration on this specific case he was currently sifting over his files in nothing but his domino mask and a pair of skin tight underwear while on each side of his bed is lined with rows and rows of coke, any kinds of coke whether its glass bottles of coke, plastic ones or crushed cans all amassed from an all night session of research from the previous day…. or was it from two days ago? For the life of him he couldn't remember, well he couldn't concentrate long enough to start remembering not that it mattered any way.

' Christ I need to sleep… but I can't I still need to find a solution to this case. Looking out of his bedroom window his mind started to flood. 'damn it, it's too late to fall asleep I need to get up to train with the team…. oh fucking hell, am I too late?' he immediately wanted to find the closest thing he had to a clock since trusting his internal one was like trusting a blind man in a dynamite factory, but before he could do anything else he heard a soft knocks on his door. Recomposing himself he replied with, " coming…. hold up." he got up from his bed to answer the door but since the world had a funny sense of humor the moment he started to walk or rather drag himself to the door both of his legs went numb and he fell face first to the floor, luckily he remembered to furnish his floor with a modest looking carpet not to mention he fell on the pile of plastic cokes. not one to waste precious time he started dragging himself to the door until he felt his legs regaining function once more, managing to stand up he opened the door to find his alien teammate and sweetheart Starfire although he could not treat the latter part of the statement as casually as he would like to.

Now as a teenage girl Starfire was about as close as to perfect as a girl could get, she was healthy, attractive and had the personality any teen aged boy could fall in love with she is kind, sweet, and innocent without being disgustingly naive or hopelessly stupid, in fact she is as sharp as Robin can be and on occasion even sharper than him which is the reason why he can't fall out of love with her, which is the precise reason why he doesn't mind falling into a silent conversation with her as he does now.

The silent conversation dragged for a few pleasant moments before Starfire reminded herself why she was seeking him in the first place.

"good morning Robin…. if I'm not mistaken you requested to be reminded to be woken up early so we could take part in the….. how did you say it? Morning exercises?" Robin now couldn't contain his smile since he loved to hear his most trusted friend talking as formal as she did continued the conversation with an occasional yawn in between and the occasional wince since his 'make out session' with the floor.

"thank you star… it really means a lot to me…. can you do me a small favor though"?

As cute as Starfire could be she always found it amusing to lightly tease her team leader and most trusted confidant beginning with his upper arms and shoulders.

"now if I didn't know any better…. with your current state and all…. one might think that you are…. how does the phrase go?, flirt with me around the office?, giving him a soft smile and laugh while winking, robin now grinning like a guy who won the lotto replied back.

"you know if I could left my work in the office I would do more than just flirt…. but my…. or our job doesn't let us rest… at least not in a way we can desire…." the last part of the statement was said in a small whisper either indicating it was a confession of a love struck teen or a melancholic confession of a teen boy who sadly had to 'grow up' too soon. Now being someone who understood both meanings too well Starfire took a few moments of silence before giving her reply.

"I understand dear friend, how may I assist you?", taking a moment to concentrate Robin requested the following…. "can you make sure the team exercise properly?… I'm no good to anyone in my current condition". giving a quick glance over to the boy… or rather young man according to her observation she closed the conversation with the following. "first dear there is nothing wrong with your condition as you are quite aware with it… being a bit more mischievous than she usually can be…. secondly since I'm doing as earthlings would say it… a solid… you would do something for me…. you would escort me to the roof and keep me company while I soak in the morning sun…".

Now at this moment robin's expression could be read as a genuine smile. " well if I didn't know any better I could swear that's a royal decree… Starfire now smiling bashfully since she felt a bit self conscious for sounding perhaps a bit too full of herself than intended…. " oh I'm most sorry, I let myself become as bold as you are…" winking apologetically she left robin to be left alone with his thoughts not before giving him a passionate kiss on his forehead.

Feeling mildly confused robin stood at the door to his room for a few seconds before glancing down to realize to his discomfort that he stood there practically in his birthday suit…. 'Jesus Christ dick old boy…. you might as just well wore a speedo the entire time… now to get a well deserved sleep…. or maybe a shower first?… damn joints are too stiff to relax anyway…. looking at the state of his room he started to think again… 'OK first clean out my room… then shower…. and then bed.'

After a few minutes of basic cleaning and organizing to his room, Robin miraculously made his way to his private bathroom to take a long, frankly much needed shower, now on principal he hated taking unnecessarily long showers but since the fatigue catching up to him he could feel himself falling a sleep while standing,

Which to him was out of the question since he would be facing the number one threat to any one…. the water bill, therefore he gathered himself together and dragged himself to bed, collapsing like a log and slowly closing his eyes beneath the mask.

' if Batman would've seen me right now, he would kill….. scratch that that's not is M.O, he would probably let Alfred sarcastically jab me to death with dry remarks before getting back to business as usual….. oh got what the hell is wrong with me even while sleeping it's business as usual?…. workaholic doesn't cut it any more.'

Early noon was rolling in pretty soon but Robin couldn't care less, the sleep he was currently in was of those rare instances where it was sound and uninterrupted but even if one even thinks it, it doesn't mean it has to stay that way, case and point, the sudden noise that engulfed Robin's room coming from the titan's living room, effectively waking him up…. to effectively for his taste.

Changing into something more appropriate and comfortable Robin exited his room and was heading to the vicinity of the common room, expecting cyborg to be the cause of the racket…. 'I mean who else could it be?…. well other than Beast boy?' which surprised him to witness Raven in front of the TV without a book insight yet still with her favorite tea in reach. A few minutes of awkward silence past by since it seemed she hasn't payed attention to him being in the room, however before he could catch her attention she has beaten him to the punch.

"Back to the land of the living I see", Raven said in her monotone and dry manner without even once making eye contact…. Robin in a little more than an impatient mood, not that he would take pride in it has replied. "and livid….." Raven not one to mince words…. "you're not angry, you're confused…. now what's so confusing?"

Robin looking around for an answer, referred to the whole TV thing. "Well first of all I find you watching TV instead of beast boy or Cyborg… without a book nearby and more importantly"…. now focusing on what's actually being played… " Miami Vice, the TV series of all things?…." Raven now pausing the TV, turned her attention to Robin, looking him dead in the eyes….. "you know what's the biggest problem with my powers?…. I can't rely on my emotions to get by in my daily life…. Robin nodding her to continue…. which means I have to constantly rely on my logic… keeping my brain working overtime…. so excuse me if I want to numb it every once in a while."

Robin now sporting a small grin on his face, "well don't overdue it we still need that sharp mind of yours fighting crime." Raven in return, "not gonna happen"…. with that the conversation ended and the two took the opportunity to enjoy the show… well at least for about 15 minutes before the next distraction happened.

Said distraction was the titan's resident goofball Beast boy, strutting into the living room wearing a bright purple Italian sports jacket and purple linen pants, while wearing underneath a black t shirt with green floral prints. Completing his flashy entrance was probably the most ironic music choice… at least for Robin anyway, Raven's reaction was unreadable as usual, no doubt coming from Beat boy's room We close our eyes by the band Go West, Beast boy being in an oblivious mood strutted towards the kitchen occasionally dancing to the music playing from his room, however that effectively stopped in his tracks when he felt two sets of eyes staring at him like a martian….

Well the silence was too much for Beast boy…. "what?…. I know I'm too much of a hunk too look away from…. but you guys just overdoing it…."

'says the guy walking around like an Armani ad campaign ' Raven thought sarcastically to herself, while Robin was more audible with his questions, "who is your stylist?, did you fire your stylist, who did pay for all of this and more importantly how is it gonna be paid for all of this?"

Beast boy feeling quite offended from the questions answered as followed, I'm my own stylist thank you very much, no I will not fire myself…. as for the other two, I payed for it with some of our collective savings… feeling smug from the rapid fire comeback not noticing Robin growing quite frustrated about this… "Beast boy, what did I say about our savings?….. its for making sure our tower staying operational… not to make a fashion statement". that part was said now a little more loudly than it should have been. Beast boy now feeling more confused than ever asked the following, "why do you worry about our money so much?, you work for the police as an undercover cop… with a paid salary no less…" Robin trying hard not to lash out on Beast boy gave this answer instead.

"do you know how much a cop makes in a month? Less alone a year?….. more importantly I don't work for the Jump city PD…. I'm doing this as a favor for them so they wouldn't throw us in jail for being vigilantes… regardless if we're being heroic or not…. now before finishing his answer Robin got up from the sofa towards his room to set up a sting for this week's illusive target…. "by the way it's not about the money… it's about me expecting you to be a little more responsible." with that said Robin addressed Raven, "thanks for the distraction…. I needed that", Raven did not respond with words but with a small nod in return. Beast boy was left alone with this lingering thought ' responsible huh… well I guess I can apologize to him by getting Donna to cover me for a while until I return.'

Adoni's show room, mid afternoon, present day.

Robin assuming the role of Johnathan Gray was waiting for his appointment with his would be suspect in a lavish car showroom showcasing the latest models of Ferrari fresh of the factory, the latest in Lamborghini concept cars and a few modded and custom Lancia's for the specific reason to draw in even the car enthusiasts to make a show look like a grant spectacle and to ensure that the venue itself was held in a big open lot while the main offices were visible to the entire public via showcase windows from every possible direction shinning enough to make out a full reflection, however at this point for Robin, they also function as lenses reflecting and magnifying all possible heat on to him.

'you got to be kidding me, where the hell is this bastard?, it's one thing to wait for a business man to show up late to his own meeting, but to make me feel like an ant under more than one magnifying glass?, if I wasn't in control right now I would have murdered the little fucker by now'.

As if on Que said fucker came downstairs from a floor above the main showroom wearing so much leather on him to the point that Robin was contemplating if that was sort of a punchline to a twisted joke only he was aware of, however he chose to keep his mouth shut and study his 'mark', he was slightly taller than him, sporting messy jet black hair, a face that fully showcased a bastard full of himself, a few bruises and cuts across his face and neck clearly telling that the guy was a twitchy fuck who couldn't care less of minding doing his own dirty work, and dominant bags under his eyes suggesting the man had no conduct or moderation either on his behavior or vices, Robin was hoping at this point it's not both.

"Sorry for making you wait johnny my man…. had to take care of something…. private if you catch my drift…"

Robin took another moment to case study him before continuing.

"If I may be frank here?…. I don't give a fuck about you or your sorry excuses….. now that you wasted my time more than I could care…. let's get straight to business… or do you want to fuck me over some more?…."

What happened next took Robin by a small but noticeable surprise, Adonis started chuckling like an addict on laughing gas, however Robin continued waiting for an explanation to what was so funny to Adonis.

"You're a regular asshole you know that pal?…. but I don't mind…. you see I like a direct asshole like you, much better than those ass kissers I get to deal on a regular basis… so what are you in the market for… friend?….. local or exports?"

Robin for the first time started grinning at the guy knowing he could lead and egg him on said, "neither…. you see I'm looking to invest in something on the side… your side business if I may be blunt…."

Adonis now raised his right eye brow either in suspicion or curiosity opting to ask, " how do you know about my side business?…. or better yet how much"?…."

Robin gaining now confidence with momentum. "I have sources…. so I know you make advance armor and robotics to help people commit crime sprees… I also know you use the suits you make for yourself…. now I won't say I'm a hot shot like you… I just represent a few clients who would love to advance your project with a down payment… interested?"

Adonis now looking like the cat who ate the canary felt like he made the deal of the century. "well first of all call me big A…. Everyone around here does…. second of all let's head to my office above to discuss a price tag."

Robin replied the following…. "I am afraid I can't do that just yet…. I'm sure you can see a man in my position… has to worry about quality control of said product…"

"do you doubt me friend?", Adonis asked seemingly hurt while he gripped Robin's shoulder in a vice grip. Robin as Jonathan Gray unphased by the subtle display of force deflect the grip from his shoulder and replying the following….

"if I had any doubts we wouldn't be talking…. I just do it on principal cause I know for a fact if either of us screws up…. there is no doubt my clients will treat the both of us like cars in a chop shop… so for both of our sake…. humor me, won't you…. friend?"

The only reply that came next was "follow me…."

As it was said Adonis made a physical gesture towards his new friend to follow him upstairs and as it happened Robin was expecting some clever reveal to the criminal's crown achievement, I mean it stands to reason, then again from what he's seeing reason just went out the window, the mechanical suit itself stood on a manikin like a window display, showing off the piece like a modern day statue of David, the only difference was the materials and level of detailing, ranging from chrome parts, grills, vents and body work.

Adonis looking pleased with himself said, "what?…. did it really strike you like I'm the kind of jumped up asshole who would waste a fucking fortune on fancy security measures?…."

Robin now getting out of the funk he just witnessed threw right back, "well you'd prove you're a fool if you let any fucker from the streets just waltz up in hear and steal your armor…."

Adonis who by this point made his way to a top of the line office desk reached out towards a drawer and produced a Glock 45 out of it and laid it on the desk with the barrel pointing in the general direction towards Robin.

"right… I forgot for a sec that Gotham spit you right up…. but just remember this city right here…. this ain't it…. and nothing is more simple and to the point like a pistol…. so do you mind getting back to…. business?"….

Adonis was thrown off to see mister Gray not only unphased by the little show of machismo, but also not paying attention to the conversation, but more to the suit itself like an appraiser inspecting a Ming dynasty vase, now with a new found sense of respect to the business man in front of him he stated, "my starting price for an individual is 50 grand , for a small militia of 10 it's 500 grand…. can you approve…?"

Robin started chuckling lowly which started to piss Adonis off until he caught the next statement… for this particular model you used parts from Yugo's and AMC gremlins, so I wouldn't pay even 10 grand for this cheap junk… but if you can produce suits from better materials you'll get 250 grand in advance, while the rest will be delivered pending customer approval… can you live with that friend?…?

Adonis started laughing at this point….. "ha ha ha… customer approval….. hahaha….. I'm starting to really like you right now…. but seriously you'll get three days to come up with the money…. I'll tip you in on the location and time…"

Robin smirking he got the jackass in his trap, took the lead with the tip thing…..

"here's a tip on the house, change your nickname from big A to Capitol A…"

Adonis was now really curious and confused so he opted to ask why but Robin didn't give him the opportunity.

"simple really….. what's more catchier than…. 'bringing the capitol back into capitalism'. Now at this point Robin didn't need to see Adoni's reaction to that comeback because either way he had all lined up like bowling pins for the strike, so instead he showed himself to the exit, hoping onto a motorcycle he brought, a Kawasaki 600 R Ninja matching coincidentally to the colors of his suit, a blue suit with black underneath with golden trims.

Robin pulled away from the lot and after gaining some distance he immediately dropped all pretenses and reverted to his Robin persona, the 24/7 kind.

' I need to get out of this monkey suit fast…. it's killing me….. let's hope it will kill me faster than that prick Adonis could kill me…. okay let's refocus here…. first I need to get to the bank and withdraw 250 grand…. so let's see… I could access my personal account, but that would raise too many eye brows…. I could try Beast boy's but….. knowing him he invested most of it on property on the moon…. so that leaves the savings account for the Teen Titans…. let's just hope there is something left…. I'm on thin ice with the cops anyway…'

Titans tower, late afternoon.

Robin has just arrived to the main ops room and saw cyborg cooking up a storm in the kitchen and since he would probably forget about late lunch if no one would remind him, he made a detour towards it, cyborg noticing his peacock of a leader had a different idea in mind.

"now hold up mister boss man since I'm cooking…. you tell me what you want, and I'll serve it… providing you don't forget to kiss the cook in the end…" he added that last part jokingly. Robin having nothing better to do than laugh at his friend's oddball humor replied with…. "yeah the last part I'll leave to your lady-friends Casanova but since you're insisting I'll have a grilled sandwich, heavy on the grated cheese but light on the butter and the ham slices…" cyborg now giving him a thumbs up continued with business as usual while preparing dinner for the rest of the team minus Beast boy… which prompted Robin to ask…. "anything good happened while I was away?"….

Cyborg countered with…. "you know the usual… a few robberies… the occasional nut-job…. nothing we couldn't handle… though Beast boy got shot in the ass at one point…".

"any chance it's something severe….?" Robin inquired, cyborg nodded a no while continuing…. "nothing he can't walk off… although as you can imagine sitting is a whole different story…. besides he gets tender loving care from nurse raven as we speak…" a goofy grin spreading from ear to ear. Robin started grinning as well for a different reason.

"you know that she would have killed you… if she heard it, right….?", cyborg could only reply with, "that's why she's not gonna hear it…. right?, at this moment the grilled sandwich was steaming and ready, cyborg just got it on the plate while a few moments passed by.

A few more moments passed by before cyborg got irritated but he didn't let it on opting to use sarcasm… "service is not included sir…. now a compliment to the chef wouldn't be out of the question."

Robin in a sarcastic tone of his own only said thanks before sitting down near the couch, while eating and surfing through some channels on the telly, after finishing his meal he got up to wash the dishes, gone back to his room to change into his uniform before returning to the couch to lay down on it, cyborg bemused by his leader's rare care free attitude asked. "don't you have work to do?…. you know…. with mister car parts?….", Robin too tired to care if he states the obvious only replied with a yawn.

"i did….. I'm just waiting for the lazy bastard to do his part… so I, or rather we could make a move on him…." at this point Beast boy came walking…. or rather limping into the room which prompted Cyborg and Robin to say simultaneously "Beast boy… you could use some rest…. please don't just stand there on our account…" while stifling some laughter, which in return beast boy started staring daggers into both of them while flipping them both off.

A couple of hours went by and everyone minus starfire were preparing for dinner, Robin setting out the plates and silver wear, Cyborg and Beast boy preparing their own meals according to their specific diets while Raven keeping a close eye on each of them, so world war III wouldn't break loose.

A few more minutes have passed by and Robin by all accounts started to worry for Starfire and to distract himself he retreated into his own mind counting the reasons why he shouldn't worry so much…. which of course defeated the point of the distraction so he waited to approach the other female in the group he knew he could count on, Raven, but being herself, she beat him to the punch…..

Before you ask…. Starfire called ahead of time…. said she will be having dinner with Donna and her boyfriend Terry…. and you're welcome." she finished off while rolling her eyes without bothering to hide it, Robin having known Donna for a while has visibly releasing the breath he's been holding, yet him just being him couldn't ignore the eye roll Raven gave.

"A penny for your thoughts?"….. Robin started and anticipating the following response, "my thoughts aren't cost affective…. so you'd have to reach deep for your wallet…. do you think that having a status qua helps us?…. Robin knew all too well the answer to that question but since his stomach began churning he opted to answer with this response…. " for now yes… but since dinner is ready let's talk about it more after we eat….. agreed?"

All he received in return was Raven's signature curt nod, meaning that even without an actual lengthy conversation he made himself very clear….

"by the way Raven, remind me to thank Beast boy for reaching out to Donna…."

Raven raised her eyebrow in curiosity asking silently 'how did you know it was him'? while Robin pointing out the following, "first of all I didn't, and Cyborg like me has barely a minute to himself around here….. and Beast boy…. being himself is mostly lonely… so he would jump at the chance of having friends over.. especially girls"…

"well done Sherlock…. Robin never really minded a complimentary nickname shot back… "you're most welcome my dear Watson…" and with that said and done dinner has officially commenced, and went incident free…. well as far as teenaged superheroes are concerned anyway…. though with no big surprises attached Robin couldn't concentrate on the here and now since his mind set works like a chess player…. thinking three moves ahead of the opponent.

'Truth and honesty, what can you say about them that hasn't been said before?….. apart from that truth has it's basis in facts, and honesty can be manipulated by any sorts of people?…. well you'll have to own up to the responsibility and the repercussions of your actions once both strike back at you that you find yourself unable to manipulate them to your own needs…. case and point?'

Over the next few weeks after Robin's return to Titans tower, crime rates has risen exponentially, and although it didn't concern any major super villain or serial murderers, it was concerned as a priority, since it involve a surge of bank robberies, large scale Grand Theft Auto's and smuggling of high tech equipment that any local government or politician would've liked to keep a privilege of the general population or private citizen a like. To the Titans it was nothing new… where there was an opportunity, there was motive… take Beast boy for example… his motive for being a hero was to be accepted and adored by the public…. and if it meant getting punched by unruly or just plain desperate assholes, he'll take it every day of the week and twice on Tuesday.

However during that time something felt off to him and it was non other than the Titan's leader Robin… not off by any means of if his leader kept in shape or used crooks as living and moving punching bags…. it was the fact that he swore that Robin let some of those crooks escape on purpose, which that was odd since Robin always gave the impression he was wound up tight when it came to being a hero….

At first he thought it was the stress of not having room to breathe between missions…. or previous injuries 'deciding' to act up on the worst possible time but having your powers connected into virtually manipulating your DNA structure to your will gave Beast boy added advantages over a normal human, such has sensitive hearing so you could catch clearly someone's mumbled thoughts while he's not paying attention…. speaking of paying attention he was currently on a shopping run with Cyborg, trying to decide amicably what's going into the fridge for the next month or so….

"Ground control to Beast boy…. anyone there?"…. Beast boy now more aware of his surroundings got confused for a second before replying, "sorry can you rewind for a sec I completely lost you man…"

'no fooling' Cyborg thought to himself, rubbing his eyes before continuing….

I was saying we're almost at the vegetable aisle so you better go on ahead and get whatever you feel like getting…. before I change my mind and leave you here…. and non of that tofu crap neither….. seriously I don't mind cooking vegan stuff if it's actual vegetables….." Beast boy replied halfheartedly with…. "sure Cy whatever you say…."

At this point if you ask Cyborg what's his best quality, without a single shred of ego, he would answer his ability to keep a leveled head and a straight face, at this precise moment however he was starting to get confused by his friend and angry for getting confused to begin with, so he had to put a stop to it.

"Hold up BB mind telling me what's up with the silent act and spacing out in broad daylight?"…. Beast boy being caught off guard by the question plus not knowing how to dance around the question lost patience completely and just went for broke.

"Does Robin trusts us as a team at all….. heck is he being even honest with us lately…?", Cyborg now completely stumped was trying his best to give his friend and teammate an honest answer he could understand….

Beast boy honesty and trust is much like respect… you can't expect it… or demand it… you have to work towards it…. like a skill you develop over time…. like you with people skills…." cyborg began chuckling quietly while Beast boy gave him a look that says, 'really?, you went there of all places'?, Cyborg however continued the conversation. That question has something to do with Robin right?…. " Beast boy nodded and elaborated… "yeah… besides acting weird I picked up a scent of gun powder under his nails recently…. did he ever tell anyone he's using guns or had like special training with them or something?…. at this moment everything clicked into place for Cyborg cause honestly Robin would brush off a question like that with no response or comment…. Cyborg gave him an answer with a look that says 'your guess is as good as mine'. now both heroes continuing with grocery shopping went on while Beast boy started talking.

"to be honest as a young kid…. I really loved eating meat… but since my senses are constantly turned up to 11…. can you please make sure I'm not around while you cook?…. the smell drives me nuts…", Cyborg now pleasantly surprised gave him a look that said 'thanks for letting me know man'.

'The thing no one knows about us performers or simple circus folk is that there is a rhythm to anything we do…. a since of timing to start and fold a show so there will be no delay on the one to come next… in a sense that's how I view the sting I pulled on that dumb ass Adonis a while back.… however there is one big delay with said show, care to guess who?…. if your guess starts with an A it means we think a like…. however the waiting is driving me insane…. I even broke a few rules just to make sure that he'll be able to make good on his promises… making it idiot proof that I'll catch the asshole red handed… making it an open and shut case….' that was what ran through Robin's mind that day while he spend most of it on the beach near Titans tower, in hopes that the sound of the waves would calm him, or at the very was the kind of guy who would spend 50 hours in an office straight…. speaking of the office.

'Damn it Bruce, you taught me every martial arts known to human beings, you taught me every thinking technique to crack and solve any puzzle…. you even taught me the art of manipulation…. but was it too fucking hard to teach me to relax like a normal human being without tensing up every time some one's passing a fart…..?'

Not that it will help any, as he said it best there is a sense of rhythm in his world, and if there was something he really despised it was getting out of sync with his own rhythm, although there is one thing or rather someone who could really help him find his more sociable self, so he made a quick detour towards that same person…

Towards Titans tower…

Titans tower, a few minutes later…..

Robin arrived at Titans tower a bit winded but in a good way to be pleasantly surprised not to find the person he was looking for Starfire…. but also one of his long time and dear friend… Donna Troy in the flesh.

' I haven't seen Donna in quite a while…. and to be honest…. I could probably wish right now to disappear instead of getting stuck in the middle of all this like a deer stuck in front of incoming headlights….'

Now the woman simply known as Donna Troy was more than just one of Robin's lady friends, she was the closest thing to him as an adoptive sister and immediate family member, well outside of Gotham anyhow and pretty much anyone can vouch the same kind of line of bullshit that can work on a stranger…. or an awestruck fan will never work on a family member, and honestly for Robin those kinds of realizations are more stress inducing than dealing with the nutcase of the week… 'in fact I wish I was dealing right now with a Mammoth type of villain, right about now….. but no such things as wishful thinking for my types… joy.'

Thinking quickly Robin could only come up with the old but classic ice breaker routine. Donna, it's good to see you again…. but I really wish you would've called…. I would have tidied up the place a bit… make it more like a country club, rather than a commune."

Donna in return only chuckled a bit while trying to maintain a sly grin, "oh little Rob… forgot already?…. I don't mind a messy place… nor does it bother me a show of immodesty… as I remember correctly… when you were younger you used to strut with your underwear exposed in public… adding a wink to complete the teasing affect…. Robin's face now resembled a ripe tomato tried with a chocked voice to rebuttal that while Donna tried her best to keep herself together while Starfire began to get curious while holding a modest blush from random and suggestive thoughts about her leader and favorite person.

Robin now fully focused countered with, "I believe the key word was 'used to…' not to mention that I was a clueless boy back then." donna never one to miss an opportunity countered with, " oh sure now you've grown up to be a clueless teen"

Robin getting visibly frustrated asked, "is there a point to you actually being here?…. other than to roast me?"

"Well if you insist on knowing… prepare for a long winded story…" and with that she began regaling what had happened to her for the last six months or so.

"So there's the gist of it…. I'm a freelance photographer, so I begged Kory to do me a favor and be my model at my next photo-shoot…. if that's not a problem with you… is it?" Robin at the moment absorbed the info Donna gave him like a sponge, but still had time to react to her question with a raised eyebrow that said, 'don't worry I got it', however being him he found a way to make a stipulation.

"hold up a sec…. you ask me for a favor…. so I got to ask you for a favor…."

Donna was getting suspicious so Robin quickly explained…. "lately I've been doing favors for the police of all people…. so I'll need you to take charge for me with the team… since you can imagine how favors like those interfere with my already busy schedule…. so what do you say?… for old time's sake?…."

Donna knowing full well what she's getting into had just this to say….. "I know you all too well…. there's something you won't let on…. and I'm fine with it… but if you make me regret this decision…. well, I hope you haven't forgot how to run…". Robin in return only gave a slight nod before fighting a shiver of fear going down his spine, luckily for him the rest of the titans came back to the tower and the rest of the day went fairly normal.

Titans tower, Robin's quarters, Early evening

Since it was a fairly slow day, Robin not one to miss a beat, made sure to do something to keep him occupied, reading, filling and organizing said files in alphabetical and numeral order, however for the sequence of actions… that wasn't done in a particular order….

The bottom line is Robin kept himself busy until he noticed an incoming message on a burner phone with the Moniker of Capital A, 'boy what's more surprising?…. that he knows how to spell or write?…. or the fact that he took my suggestion to heart?'

But before getting to sidetracked he read the message carefully as followed.

'sorry for the delay…. having trouble with supply and demand due to pest control…. either way I got your purchase up and running…. meet me at the abandoned drive- in theater to make the exchange, the day after tomorrow, at dusk… come prepared Big Brother and his little snitches are watching everywhere up to Caracas…. 'scoffing at the cheesiness of it all Robin wrote back.

'message received and understood… over and out'

A while later after Robin was finishing formulating the eventual take down of Adonis, he checked his laptop clock to see what he can start right away.

'8:00 pm… hmm… a little too late by now for a training session… even a short one…. and I doubt any on the team aside for a few could really concentrate on strategising at this hour…. best I could do right now is letting them know…'

With that mind set Robin exited his room and headed towards ops room to let every one know about tomorrow… he didn't expect this to be easy, since most of the Titans by now would be in their private rooms… besides Robin would've rather tell no one but…. he finds it difficult to talk to someone in person instead of a group… a flaw he subconsciously picked up from Batman his mentor, however what he saw next pleasantly surprised him, he saw his old friend Donna with his team chatting on the living room sofa in a format of a game, smiling a little he approached them and asked.

"Mind if I join on the fun guys?"…. everyone looked at him like he had been in Chernobyl recently and for that he gave them a look that said 'gee don't look surprised… I love fun as much as the next guy'…. it went quiet for a few moments until Starfire chimed in and said. "it will be delightful if you could join us…. we are telling stories about friends we used to know…. and I believe it was Beast boy's turn to share", thankful for Starfire's quick reaction he just as quickly took a seat while Beast boy started talking….

"gee thanks guys but I don't know where to start…." he began with a chuckle, "start at the beginning" he heard a dry response that sounded like a sarcastic roast coming from Raven, which earned a stifled laugh from everyone, except beast boy who mouthed with the same amount of sarcasm 'thank you' to no one in particular.

"well I used to have a friend who traveled the world with his family on adventures…. sometimes to Europe…. Sri lanka… and even the Amazon on occasions… his parents were world renowned scientists and he was enthusiastic about animals…. in fact he wanted to be an expert on animals when he grew up…. any way last I heard of him he wound up in Africa with his family… he tried exploring the local wildlife… only to get attacked by them…. luckily his parents could save his life but he never was the same again… to add insult to injury, awhile after that my friend's parents went missing… never to return…. and my friend?,…. last I heard he disappeared too… after winding in Eastern Europe of all places…. never knew what happened to him after that… Beast boy started quietly sobbing while muttering softly…. 'I really miss my friend….'

Every single Titan in the room fell into a deafening quiet while giving Beast boy a pitying look which simply said 'Jesus', while the game continued on starting with Donna retelling a story about a small child disappearing into a towering inferno of a building, never to be found again… followed up by Raven who told a story about a little girl who escaped her father before driven into insanity…. after a short pause Starfire continued, telling so far the most interesting of all the stories about an aristocratic girl, saving her family by offering herself into servitude for another noble home to repay a huge debt… while lastly but not least, Cyborg told a much more optimistic story about a disabled athlete which on the brink of death fought against the odds to keep on living for his family…. and for himself…. Robin being sharp as he was deduced that most of the stories he heard were only half fiction while the rest of it were memories being recounted due to how much detail those contained and when it was his turn he started with the following….

"I know someone who was once innocent and pure…. however he was thrust into a reality he didn't want when his parents were murdered as a part of collateral damage…. the guy was angry and livid at this…. he wanted to kill the bastard responsible for this…. for some peace of mind…. everyone acknowledged they were listening so Robin continued…. but in a weird twist of fate he became an undercover cop…. Transferring all over the country…. last I heard he was stationed in our city…. working on a large scale case involving someone we know called Adonis… now I know this guy very well… and he's extremely prideful…. so I reached out to him… I warned him about the danger he's heading in but with no luck….."

Before Robin could continue Beast boy interrupted…. "and let me guess… you want all of us to help this friend of yours?…." Robin without flinching gave a firm and quick nod saying 'exactly' while in the mean time Cyborg chimed in with. "what's our window of opportunity?", Robin replied with.

The day after tomorrow… so please I want… no… I need everyone in sync for tomorrow when we come up with a plan and train on it…. please guys…. that goes without saying but I don't have a whole lot of friends…. and I'm sick and tired of losing them…."

At this point every Titan gave a squeeze on the shoulder for a show of solidarity… except for Starfire who tackled him with a hug that said 'I strongly share your sentiments', which made Robin hate himself even more than usual…. because at that precise moment he felt himself become a clone of Batman… the worst that Batman represented…. someone who relies on half truths and a guy who would go so far as to use his friends…. on the pretense that it is necessary for the greater good….

'no… this is unacceptable I am not him…. no more…. tomorrow I come clean…. damn the consequences… damn them to hell'

That decision is harder to live with as much as declare it… that same night Robin tuned in as early as 01:00 am as to catch at least 7 hours of sleep in order to wake up and use as much time as possible without having to rely on caffeine… however planning ahead only takes you so far until the unexpected factor kicks in…. and in Robin's case he at some point did menage to fall asleep for 3 hours straight until he woke up suddenly without any provocation… just woke up as though his biological clock told him it's morning… without complaining he got up and tried tiring himself back to sleep by doing light exercises like push ups and sit ups… he did it for a while until he felt himself tiring and to make sure he would sleep soundly he snuck into the Titan's kitchen for a glass of water…. which worked like a charm for about another 3 hours until he woke up the same way yet again….

'are you fucking kidding me?….' Robin at this point having no patience for any slow acting methods snuck yet again into the kitchen and popped a couple of sugar free Tums tablets not really caring if he swallowed them… finding himself relaxing once more he climbed into bed one last time to get at least another solid 1 hour of sleep…

One hour later….

Robin was startled awake after the digital alarm clock/radio started up with an early tune, Russ Ballard's In the night…. which meant irony strikes again for well a now pissed off Robin who due to exhaustion could only lay in bed and think the following….

'Note to self, find out who's the genius who let Beast boy set the alarm clock system on Titan's tower…. plus it's a good idea to get something stronger than coffee on the way to ops…. wait a minute…. am I forgetting something….' at this point Robin forgot he has to first drag himself out of bed first….

After a dodgy awakening Robin wasted no time in getting ready and heading into ops to see most of the Titans awake except for…. Beast boy, cyborg noticing his leader and brother in arms, threw towards him without a word an air horn. Not needing an explanation gave a polite greeting to the rest while catching the air horn and went off to get Beast boy. Once in the youngest Titan's room he approached beast boy's bed and without a warning let a rip on the air horn from hell… scaring the younger titan so much that he transformed mid jump into a cat landing with his claws up the ceiling… seeing the expression on his leader's face he could see a sarcastic expression on his face saying 'nice reflexes…', beast boy now taking a moment to compose himself transformed back and landed with a thud on his bed and effectively broke the silence by saying…. "I know I'm late, but could I ask for one thing first?…." Robin gave him a nod to continue…. I need to change my shorts first… so would you mind…", Robin now genuinely smiling responded… "don't take too long… we got a lot to accomplish today…. as you were soldier" he added with laughter while he gave Beast boy some privacy

Titan's tower, ops room, a few minutes later

Robin and the rest of the titan's for that matter were waiting for Beast boy to walk in late as usual, although Robin will never admit it…. out loud anyway….. but he was relieved at the moment for Beast boy's incredibly off-timing cause quite frankly the thought of removing his domino mask was about now the equivalent to waxing, however instead of the sensation of pain and agony it was replaced by the sensation of nervousness and panic, ready to erupt like a volcano.

Then the dreaded moment arrived as Beast boy entered ops room with one mug of coffee for Donna and a mug of tea for Raven and a slight limp of shock thanks to a certain someone with an air horn as he immediately addressed everyone, "ladies…. gentleman…. Dick….". Robin decidedly removed his domino mask off his eyes revealing an irony that escaped most of the Titans but a select few like Donna who knew his secret from a while back, Cyborg who's mechanical eye functioned on occasion as a literal facial recognition software, and Raven who's powers allow her to either read minds or manipulate them… but in all honesty could care less about the guy behind the mask as much as she actually cared about his actions as a human being…. as for starfire and Beast boy?, well she'll need the most explanations since she never met Richard Grayson before, and Beast boy had the most surprising reaction of them all… he was completely still drawing an unresponsive blank expression…. his mind however…..

'of course it had to be it…. god damn it…. no wonder it felt like I was stating the obvious…. now I have to find another insult for him…. that would actually insult him…'

After a few moments he composed himself, he scanned the room for any kind of reaction only to confirm that he was late to that party as well… since no one was visibly shocked or surprised… expect for Starfire who was curious about this revelation since Donna explained to her that back in Gotham, Richard Grayson was considered the city's golden boy and even more so practically the adopted son of the city's most influential aristocrat, which when it was caught in Beast boy's ear he began thinking and wondering, which after a while sent him into an even bigger shock while muttering loudly.

"how stupid can I even be…. for christ's sake"…. Robin understood perfectly what Beast boy was thinking about, but before he could redirect the conversation Raven chimed in.

"do you want me to count the ways… or is anyone else wants to continue the day as planned?"

With that Richard decided once again to dawn his famous Robin mask and started filling in his team about every specific detail on the undercover investigation and accordingly assigned posts for the rest of his team.

"Beast boy I got 2 jobs for you, the first would be a scouting mission to make sure Adonis didn't set up a trap for me or to make sure he didn't bring backup just in case he doesn't trust like I thought he did…. are you following me so far?…" Beast boy by this point gave a mock salute in order to defuse Robin's worry, him on the other hand kept on as usual. "Now for your second task, it's really simple… you'll need to keep him distracted as long as possible, so cyborg could come in and destroy the suits he already build…. got it?"

Beast boy nodded in confusion while saying…. " I got it for the most part…. but how will I distract him…. aside from a one man zoo, I don't have any other tricks in my sleeves…" Robin sensing that he has a point said…."don't worry I'm sure you'll improvise something when you do…" now Robin focused on Raven, Starfire and his old friend, as her super hero moniker Wonder Girl, beginning with raven… "your job is simple but crucial, you'll be in charge of health care for the team if necessary and more importantly removing Adonis from his mechanical suit while keeping it intact enough for me to fish out info from it" now addressing the remaining two.

"Starfire and Wonder Girl, you'll be equally back up and a deterrent force designed to take me out or Adonis…. just n case I'll see fit to sweat out Adonis for his secrets just in case his suit comes up empty… any objections?"

Surprisingly he heard one from Starfire…. "it is not an objection so much as an inquiry…. you said that you studied this Adonis quite thoroughly…. Starfire took a moment to glance at everyone to see if she pronounced her words correctly and then continued…. the point I'm making is why continue this study if the point is to arrest him…?"

This is why Starfire got under Robin's skin, she wasn't just her beauty or genuine innocence. It was her way of asking the right question at exactly the right moment to which he replied with….

"Honestly I couldn't care about criminals like Adonis… I had too many run ins with his type back in gotham for my taste….. but I got an instinct that says that something doesn't had up…."

Like what? Raven and Beast boy continued for Starfire in unison, Robin elaborated.

"as in how a numb nuts like Adonis can run such a big operation…. without crossing the cops…. or landing in jail…. not to mention how he manages to keep his business legitimate and afloat for so long…. its like he has friends with deep pockets…. or in very high places… so I'll need your help to dig a bit deeper…"

Robin waited for anyone to raise any other questions but since no one did he took it as a sign to start the training. Starfire and Wonder Girl began their training with an obstacle course designed to work on their strength and reflexes while Beast boy took his training outside so he'd have more range to unleash his animalistic abilities and tendencies without anyone getting shots for rabies…. while Raven retreated to the regular gym for a short while to practice on the basics and then immediately afterwards began a more intensive routine of meditation to make sure her power set won't fail her or send her friends to an early grave, finally Cyborg did the least physical training out of all of them since he was already built as it is however he spent most of the day tuning and upgrading his mechanical body with the latest in both hardware and software alike.

Half a day went just like that and Robin ever the perfectionist and strategist that he was, decided that the rest of the day should focus on working together as a team, coordinating their operation like a choreographer tents to a complex routine, making sure every step taken is measured and timed correctly until he was mostly satisfied, however it was lucky for his team that he called it quits once the sun began to set.

The abandoned drive in theater, dusk a short while before the deal.

Robin arriving to the abandoned drive in theatre arrived on the bike he drove to the dealership arrived extra early to survey the spot so his team could set up in position, once he was sure nothing felt wrong he signaled the rest of the Titans to set up into position… arriving in a Jaguar XJ6 42 much to the dismay of Cyborg…. there was nothing wrong in the car itself but he always loved the chance to flash his custom build car.

Once everyone got out of the car beast boy turned into a basset hound trying to catch something Robin probably wouldn't have picked up in his initial scan while the others tried to get the optimal vantage point.

'please don't let me catch the smell of stale….. or even fresh cotton candy or popcorn…. I didn't eat as much as I should' … although he caught the scent of something stronger… diesel? Either way it was definitely a truck's exhaust, wincing he turned back into human form and radioed Robin…. adding an impression of Smokey and the bandit.

"Breaker breaker this is hound dog to red bird… do you read me good buddy?…. you got big rig heading your way…. do you read me red bird?…"

Robin replying half jokingly…. "I read you loud and clear…. but son would it kill ya to speak good old English once in a while?…"

Robin now assuming the role of John Gray once again walked to the middle of the abandoned drive in theatre honoring the time old trope of doing shady business at night and luckily for him he wouldn't have to wait just like last time, although if to be fair he wouldn't mind it since it was an open space on a pleasant weather, however since it was time to focus on the mission that was what he was doing and immediately there was a detail that he didn't like… he brought back up of his own plus more than one truck for his suits the other two being tanker fuel trucks…. and the extra company…. well they looked like civilian contractors dressed in casual clothes armed with an assortments of assault rifles and pumped up to their eyeballs with steroids. All of them got out of the trucks in formation and finally out of the main delivery truck stepped out Adonis in his mechanical suit armed on the left hand with a shotgun and on the right arm an M-16 rifle fitted with a grenade launcher.

Robin at this point raised his eyebrow silently asking 'really?' while Adonis came approaching in his direction apparently by all means to greet him, "hey buddy boy sorry for the theatrics…. my old man, god curse us all…. always used to say 'Go big or Go home', Robin or rather John visibly started to relax while replying…. "Listen, I don't give two shits about your family…. or why you brought your sugar daddies over there…. I only care about one thing…. business, so you can just fuck off or stop jerking me around" in a nice and calm manner.

Adonis started laughing whole heartily while continuing talking, "honestly, you're something else….. so how do we do this Dick Grayson…."

'Oh fuck, how did he find out?…. gotta go through with this either way….'

"What gave me away?…. the good looks or the charm?….". nothing… Adonis replied "I have friends in high places that look after me…. plus I read a few magazines every once in a while….. so why did you lie to me…. friend" and with that Adonis pointed the gun at Richard while instructing his men to flank the target and surround him just in case.

' you better think quick dick… got it!'

"Is this really necessary?….. friend?…. I just don't want old man Wayne to know how I make ends meat…." Adonis now smirking and feeling like a Don had this to say.

Of course friend…. forgive me for being cautious man…. I just had a lot of fuck ups lately…. how about you leave the cash in the middle and I'll count it while you check the quality of your investment?….

Richard had only this to say…. "sure thing pal….. but if you're trying to fuck me over…. you're a dead man walking…. capiche?, plus a briefcase is too old fashioned I'll make an electronic transfer once I'm satisfied…"

Adonis found himself scoffing at the gesture cause even he couldn't be this corny, however John didn't care, he just went on ahead to check the cargo while from a few feet away getting a bit worried about what he's seeing.

"Guys we got a slight problem over here…." Beast boy, true to his little brother role in his family was the first to arrive to take a peak at what Cyborg meant, when he arrived at the scene he got really quiet for a moment and addressed Cyborg. "call everyone in, I got an idea how we can stay on plan without worrying about those rent a'goombas over there…." Referring to the small militia Adonis brought along. Cyborg impressed for a few moments signaled the rest of the team…..

In the meantime with the delivery truck….

Robin as John was already on board the truck's trailer inspecting it's cargo while frantically trying to think of how to alert his team on this development…. 'come on think dammit…. OK if Beast boy's scouting the area like I asked…. he'd see the hired guns…. so all I have to do is signal when to begin…. wait signal?…. of course how stupid of me I have my phone but I can't stall for too long… I got it I'll use Morse code using light…. but fuck…. I need a good source of light for it to work…. wait a minute… that's it I'll open a direct line to Cyborg using speaker phone while hiding it close by… yeah that should work'

Back with Cyborg and the rest of the titans

Beast boy started to explain when everyone gave him attention, "listen up guys it's so simple… it's idiot proof…. while Cyborg does the demolition… we're gonna do a derby… meaning I'll turn into a stallion while Wonder Girl lasso's up the bad

and raven provides a mystical shield when and if someone tries to take a shot at us, and let's not forget Starfire over here…. you'll provide air cover if anyone brought anything bigger than a hunting rifle…. everyone cool with that?"

Before any of them could get a word in on how Beast boy was acting really smart or atypical for him Cyborg received a transmission in his built in comm link from Robin…

"sorry I took too long…. the money is being transferred as we speak…. and we'll all be ready to go our separate ways very soon"… cyborg didn't need to understand that it was Robin's way to shout GET YO' ASSES OVER HERE, so without further a do they all executed their plan as drilled more or less…

Murphy's law, 'everything that can go wrong will go wrong', that is what Robin was witnessing with his very own eyes. You see Beast boy's plan worked for a degree, meaning since he transformed into a stallion Wonder Girl and Raven mounted him just as planned she used her mystical lasso provided by her mentor to try and capture as much enemies as she could but that meant others had time to escape and some of them had not fallen to the ruse at all meaning Cyborg was entrenched in place holding off barrages of bullets gunning straight for him, speaking of since some got away those same few made it harder for Raven to protect or even heal her friends due to her own energy depleting.

Adonis not the least bit surprised by the arrival of the Teen Titans join his men emptying volume after volume and round after round of ammo at the heroes and to add an extra edge he used the extra muscle that his own custom made suit provided although at the moment he was otherwise distracted when he saw Richard Grayson ducking bullets while running towards the delivery truck.

"What the fuck are you doing dick? Get back here and land a hand over here asshole…." Dick scoffed at the idea replying…. "yeah what the fuck do you expect me to do against an alien, an animal and a fucking Robocop?…. besides we're done here… so they're your problem not mine…" but before he could make a second move he saw a few star bolts aimed towards the truck's tires and cargo haul effectively destroying it as well.

'Well Robin you always said you knew how to improvise… so you better start now'

Scanning his surroundings Dick Found the motorcycle he arrived in a little scratched but honestly in workable condition, he also found a discarded biretta 9mm on the floor belonging apparently to one of Adonis's goons, to which one who the fuck knows, so he ran towards the motorcycle picking up the gun and shooting anyone that got in his way that for now included another 2 goons who tried to kill him, he shot one in the shoulder while the other one got his hand injured while a bullet hit the rifle he was carrying, running out of bullets Dick immediately discarded the gun and picked up instead an MP5 assault rifle, and continuing towards the bike while dodging barely a few stray shots when a sudden thought came up

'oh fuck…. I can explain easily how I could get away if Adonis catches up with me…. but I need to put distance away from me and the team before he grows a brain and put 2 and 2 together…. but how…. think for crying out loud… then a sudden realization hit him when he noticed what he was carrying…. oh no that's a stupid idea if I ever thought of one…. he lamented the idea in his head as he was heading for the bike while he completely ignored of two important details he was currently passing close by to the fuel trucks and most importantly Starfire has already caught up to him and was now confronting him.

"surrender… she shouted… there is no escape…."

Dick now operating in his Robin state of mind stared for a while into Starfire's eyes to try and read her face before retorting the following. "escape…. nice choice of words…. you should make sure your teammates got out safe and sound…. since you're missing your leader….." as if right on point the other Titans came into view slowly…. Cyborg riddled with bullet holes mostly to the abdomen are and a few scrapes to his metallic arm, luckily for him his most vital organs were protected with armor thicker and more agile than Kevlar, Beast boy sporting a few wear and tears to his uniform while sporting a healing to his right shoulder being supported by raven who sported a mild layer of dust and debris on her uniform when finally Wonder Girl arrived sporting the least amount of bruises mostly around the arms and a few on her face, yet she wasn't upset cause she was carrying the Adonis suit minus a few minor parts and the guy in the suit, Starfire surprisingly knew what he was going to ask so she wasted no time.

"Your associate is not harmed, however he did not escape as well…. so for the last time…. surrender". Robin scoffs lightly at the prospect of surrendering while replying with this…. "funny…. you talk like there are no more options for me…." Starfire at this point raised her eyebrows questionably as if to say 'are there any more options for you' referring to the other Titans besides her virtually surrounding him.

At first it would seem like Robin Or rather Dick Grayson would draw a gun on his friends in order to complete whatever he set to do in his mind, however none of his teammates or close friends would guess what he would do next, instead of pointing the gun barrel at his friends he pointed it towards itself. "now since I have one very solid options left…. you'll leave me alone and allow me to escape quietly and disappear….. now his friends were in a complete state of shock no one dared speak which honestly started irritating Robin or rather Dick Grayson, so he asked calmly but impatiently…. "did I stutter…" but before anything else could happen a roaring sound of a rifle clip being emptied shattered the air around, most of the bullets shredding what remained of Cyborg's right arm, now since his nervous systems were for the most part still intact Cyborg could feel the pain losing his mechanical arm which prompted raven to create a shield around the Titans who were either in too much of a close range or too injured to move.

However to Dick the pain would be too acute to bear, not only did he deal with violent flashbacks into his own failure to protect his family but now he would have the trauma of his friends on his hands since the perpetrator was one of Adonis's injured goons who fired those shots, but which one exactly? The one Dick Grayson wounded by shooting the gun away from his hands, now Dick's hands were violently shaking with rage and before any of the Titans can comprehend what's about to happen Dick shot a volley of bullets not at the perpetrator but near where he stood, just close enough to the fuel trucks igniting the fuel and incinerating the goon in the explosion the fuel made.

Silence befell the group no one quite knew what to do since they were painfully aware what had happened, the only one who could function was Robin but that wasn't much functioning since it was a situation of 'The lights are on, but nobody is home' however Robin still proceeded into the fire while slowly but surely he pulled out his wallet containing the fake ID's and tossed it into the flames, next he reached towards his jackets inner pockets to pull out his domino mask, once in hand he removed his jacket completely and threw both of the items into the fire.

Robin stayed a few more moments to make sure anything that can identify him got torched, once that was done he quickly moved towards the bike with only a mutter to indicate he was still alive, the mutter was so faint only beast boy could catch it but before he could protest Robin had only driven off into the night…..

Titans tower, a few hours later

The clean up after the long battle with Adonis was excruciatingly difficult not in the physical sense but rather in the mental one, now usually the Titans regarded themselves as role models to some capacity when fighting crime however not tonight when each of them lied through their teeth about the fate of their once living leader, matters didn't help when the team found a small note from Robin saying 'carry on as usual', Donna Troy retired to the guest room all battered and bruised too tired to keep up appearances, so did Raven for that matter, Cyborg the most injured of them all retired without his usual pep to attempt reconstruction on his lost arm, leaving Beast boy to drown the event with comfort food while Robin's words still hammering in his head. ' I was never truly a hero, honestly I'm an outlaw at best and a criminal at the worst… might as well accept that', but the one affected the most was Starfire…. because she understood what Robin was going through since a wartime reality could take it's toll on anyone, yet she couldn't condone how he was handling it, since she got back to the tower she immediately went to take a shower in the hopes that some sort of warmth would give her clarity, however as she stepped out towards her room she fount a longer note from Robin taped to her door. The note read as followed….

Starfire…. when you see this note I'll be long gone by now. The last few days and weeks were both the most rewarding and frustrating in my life…. but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way, furthermore I now find it more easy to tell you that I care deeply for you…. even beyond the point of friendship or camaraderie…. henceforth I have to request of you one last thing… please lead the team in my absence… I am aware I ask you a lot but I'm sure since you're the most accepting of the whole team… it will boost the morale around, finally I implore you to go out and explore your adoptive home and more importantly…. do not wait for me…. find someone who deserves your love and affection… at this point Starfire could read no longer cause she felt like tearing up, not of sadness but of frustration and helplessness.


	2. Chapter 2

**author note: this chapter is heavily inspired by the new teen titans #16 written and drawn by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, in fact you can call this a remake, p.s this is the first part of a two part story, that said i sincerely hope you enjoy it. be warned some graphic content ahead .**

Chapter 2: beyond presumptions of good and evil

'Moving on….. I find this earthly expression very strange….. back home it was required by royal decree that people who bear grudges, misunderstandings or even the most deepest of hatred to confront one another in any form they'd see fitting… the only reason I understand this concept so well is because He explained it to me on a basic level…. the deeper understanding came from me incorporating this explanation into my own life experiences…'

A few months have passed since Robin's mysterious death, and the Titans to their credit they managed pretty well in his absence with Starfire leading them on the battlefield in the war against villainy in Jump city, however now that she has adopted the role of leader she inherited another role, that of a matriarch in the Titans household and with that came a new battlefront with it's own obstacles to overcome, the financial front. Luck would have it that she had an ally on her side, Donna Troy, who in turn pulled in a few favors to make Starfire her leading model for her photography portfolio and credentials.

Titan's tower, early morning, Starfire's bedroom

Starfire was soundly asleep in her room after a few nights in a row of crime fighting which lately consisted of crimes involving human people without extraordinary powers, such as bank robbers or the latest misguided free radicals, in concept it should seem simple enough but Starfire always detested having unfair advantage over her enemies…. the same thing can be said about constantly restraining her powers due to the fact that she has to constantly adjusts to the idea that she no longer lives in an extreme wartime era like on her home planet Tamaran.

Around the time when Starfire stopped thinking of her old but still dear home, her own alarm clock/radio woke her up by playing the first few notes of the hit song Girls On Film by the band Duran Duran but before the song could continue she turned the alarm off gently but still with irritation marred on her face.

'Since when did I became Richard?…. I usually love to wake up early…. speaking off…. mental note… remind Garfield I prefer to keep my private life and work as separate as possible….'

With that Starfire got up and headed towards her shower in the hopes that she'd at least could recharge herself physically.

Around 15 minutes of showering Starfire was ready to begin her day with a moderate yet balanced breakfast of both meat and vegetables mixed together with a random topping to remind her of her home world such as mustard which reminded her the most of home, her reasoning being that she never felt homesick if she had some element to remind herself of the place she's missing, however what she'll never miss was her schedule.

Breakfast went enjoyably quiet since the boys in the group Beast boy and cyborg where preoccupied with their own life, Cyborg as a volunteer physiotherapist at a local elementary school for the disabled or as he would simplify it as a gym teacher for kids with special needs and Beast boy visiting his adoptive parents while reconnecting with his old friends from The Doom Patrol, a group, by Beast boy's account, that consists an odd collections of characters who formed to protect people from certain doom, a group that honestly she would fit among much easier even than the titans since by her account she was an odd character even among her own people, speaking of odd one…..

'i wonder where Raven could be?….'

Before she could finish her thought or meal she picked up faint noises emanating from the Titan's gym, and since starfire needed a good stretching session to start her workout she decided now would be as good as time as any to head in that direction but not before saving her meal in the fridge for another time.

'No point in wasting delicious food'

Titan's gym, a few moments after….

The source of the noise Starfire picked up was none other then the docile and quiet Raven having a basic workout session while listening to music via earphones to what only can be recognized as Olivia Newton John's hit single Physical, Starfire pleasantly surprised and impressed decided, instead of scaring her friend half to death with an interruption, she would join in the fun and with Raven seemingly paying no mind she did just that by mimicking her catching up to her rhythm, after a few moments of concentration and silence Raven broke it by asking in a certain monotone.

"Mind telling me what so amusing about me doing exorcises and sports?"

"would it kill you to admit that you're doing something for fun other than reading books…. or verbal jousting with Beast boy?" Starfire replied with a straight forward answer which helped gain Raven's respect, Raven returning the gesture replied with.

"no…. but it could kill everyone else near me" Starfire nodded as she stopped and turned towards the pool while saying, "if you need anything let me know…"

Raven gave a small nod of acknowledgement before continuing on with her aerobics exercises until it reached the verse of the song that mentioned animals. She stopped her workout there and then letting her body rest for a few moments before exiting the gym in deep thought, not about the meaning of the song like the meaning of one her favorite books, no that was blatantly simple… blunt even, no her deep thoughts were somewhere along the lines of…..

'i need to wake up Beast boy before he gets too comfortable in bed…. and as a result we won't get a wink of sleep…. but how to wake him up in a non violent way….let's see throwing him in to the pool via teleportation will probably give him a heart attack or at the very least he'll still sleep in the pool while floating…. throwing an ice water on his face will most likely get him mad…. not to mention probably pneumonia…. not forgetting that it would probably ruin good sheets, and I'll be damned if I ever become someone's house keeping…. let's see what else?…. dressing up as a french maid while waking him up with a kiss…. too intimate at this point for me…. Raven began Blushing profusely…. not to mention he would most likely pitch a tent as well, so seduction like that would never work…. wait a minute… seduction of the stomach…. wait a minute I forgot…. Beast boy is away at the moment…. so why am I thinking of him…. good God Rachael you've officially lost it…. I need to meditate…. afterwards definitely spend the day away from the tower as much as possible, I really need some fresh air.'

Outside Titan's tower, the Titan's Olympic swimming pool.

Starfire per her strict regiment routine was practicing in the pool by doing at least up to this point about 10 laps and counting with the mind set and focus of a pro athlete, the sole thing that wasn't strict in this situation was the fact that Starfire swam without a swimming suit restricting her, with that said and done she continued swimming like that for several more minutes until she sensed someone arriving that certain someone was Donna Troy.

"hey Kory, got a minute?…. or should I wait for a few minutes for you to get decent?, Donna asked with mirth lacing her voice. Starfire now stopping for a bit to regulate her breathing replied with. "oh Donna you know I am always decent…. I am just not…. how would you describe it…. prudish?… or perhaps uptight?…. Donna unable to contain her amusement continued. "fair point…. anyway, a model by the name of angel had just bailed out of a major photo-shoot and I need to find a replacement in a hurry…. feel like stepping in to save the day?.

Kory considered it for a minute before replying with. "sure on one condition… that you'd join me in the pool later on…. it is lonesome to swim as they say it… solo.

Donna unable to deny Kory's plights simply stretched out her hand which Kory accepted in return as Donna helped her out of the pool, while doing this Kory felt the urge to ask, "did angel disappear on you?…. or she disappeared never to be heard from again?….", Donna surprised a bit by the question replied with…. "OK ms. Junior detective…. let's see if we can detect your clothes first, before trying to find a missing person…. and more importantly you should take a shower first…. I don't really need the strong scent of chlorine on the set." kory nodded in an understanding that quietly and humorously said 'yes mother' before leaving her towards the locker rooms, only for Donna to closely follow her with a gaze that stated 'quickly now please', waiting a little for her friend to disappear she let out a sigh she wasn't aware she was holding to begin with.

'gee I don't know what's more scarier…. the fact that she's drop dead gorgeous…. with an amazing figure to boot… or the fact that her mind can rival with Dick in levels of sharpness…. note to self…. take some time off from work to stay in better shape'…

A few moments later, Donna's car, towards downtown jump

Kory Andres a.k.a Starfire was being driven to the shoot courtesy of Donna Troy in a convertible Fiat 124 sport spider with the roof currently down, in any other situation she would have enjoyed the breeze in her face, however at this point in time she felt more fidgety than anything else, since what she hated most about being a model wasn't the inevitable attention she'll draw but those a cursed designer clothes which were form fitting to the point it felt like a second coat of skin restricting her breathing, speaking of…..

"Donna can you remind me why I have to wear those designer clothes… before the shoot even commences…?". Donna, understanding her friend's frustration answers her question. "I know it's a pain….. but I need to do the shoot quickly today because… something came up", Kory now feeling a little concerned asks, " what is the matter Donna?… is there some sort of emergency?…", Donna shrugs and sighs, "not really…. someone broke into my apartment a few days ago…. the only thing being stolen where a few files regarding models, their schedules and some SD cards containing recent photo-shoots I did…. with angel…. oh god, no such things as coincidences."

Kory nodded in understanding while trying to relax and reassure her friend, Donna in return thanked her friend and a few more minutes went quietly since traffic felt less busy than usual, in the meantime another motorist caught up to them, he was a young man in his early 20's, driving an old beat up Fiat 126, carrying in the back seat working gloves, camera and lighting equipment. he mostly kept his head on the road until he noticed the beautiful women next to him, he tried to wave a friendly good morning and maybe a friendly smile, but he lost concentration for a few seconds, almost swerving in the process, fortunately for him though he got the car and himself under control before saying to himself 'focus frank…. focus'

Donna and Kory eventually got in time for the photo-shoot right on time, however Donna still felt uneasy since she knew the longer she waited the harder it would be to find her alive and well, hell it would be lucky to find her alive. It drove her crazy so much she forgot to step out of her car, Kory on the other hand was already out of the vehicle talking on the phone with victor also known as Cyborg.

"hey Vic…. can you spare a few minutes please?…. it's urgent" Kory said hoping for a bit of luck, which Cyborg responded with… "sure star…. for you anything so shoot…" Kory then began to recall what Donna told her in much detail as she could while Cyborg was listening intently and taking mental notes…. " Angel Dove… got it, let me patch to the computers at home and I'll get back to you in a little while…." Kory now pleased with how her day is proceeding remembered something. "Oh by the way Vic…. I hope I didn't interrupt your class in any way…"

Vic was smiling to himself for this, thankful for the kind of friends he has while replying, "no worries about that little lady…. I dismiss my classes 5 minutes early so they could change and get to their next lesson on time… send my regards to Donna for me….", "oh don't worry I will…" Kory said before hanging up, meanwhile a calmer Donna Troy caught up to her hugging her which pleasantly surprised Kory.

"thanks for being my friend…. now as much as it is a nice moment, we got work a head of us…."

With in the photo-shoot studio, half an hour later

After a few delays caused by a heated argument between a fashion magazine tycoon who's known by the name Sergio and an eccentric fashion designer, Neil 'Mad Mod' Richards, Kory was More than ready to begin the shoot but the argument began a new and having no patience to get caught in a petty argument she decided to look around the set.

'space….. leave it to my friend Donna to make me feel like I'm at home once again…'

Kory now smiling she decided to explore with her eyes further… what she found next was yet another pleasant surprise… she took notice of one worker in particular trying to set and fix the lights for the shoot…. ' I remember him…. he is the friendly driver on his way to work this morning…' Kory sensed she was staring perhaps a bit too long…. not to mention he was now staring back since she caught his attention, so in return she gave a small smile to him and through a sweaty face he did just the same, a few moments passed before Donna gave the signal that shooting is about to commence.

"OK Kory you know the drill…. let's start shooting…"

A few hours after the shoot.

Donna on a roll with thanks to her friend Kory has managed to catch quite a few photo ops and was now preparing to finish the day with minimal interruption from her guests on the set, eventually she noticed she filled the last of her SD cards and with accordance with Sergio has wrapped up the photo-shoot.

"OK that's a wrap people….. thanks…. hopefully I'll get to see you all on the next shoot…." with that the lights dimmed and eventually shut off until there were a few left to let the workers see what they were doing, while Kory approached Donna to see if there is anything else she might need help with, Donna in return responded.

Kory why don't you wait a little longer for me…. I have some final details to settle with Sergio about my fee…. and with mister Richards about the designs for the next shoot…" Kory a little dismayed but never discouraged saw the nice man from earlier still working on the light fixtures, nothing to arouse curiosity however she did noticed he was always favoring his right side over the left as though if he had no choice in the matter, so without further delay she approached him.

"Excuse me sir, may I offer my assistance?", she asked politely, the man didn't do much accept replying while keeping himself concentrated. "I'm sorry but if you're not a professional with handling or setting up lights… I'm afraid there is not much you can do to actually help. kory being her usual self tried to keep the conversation going, "well it was nice meeting you again, Mr…..?", the young man by now made sure that all the lighting equipment is safe and secured before giving her his full attention.

"it's Frank actually, Frank Crandel….. I've been called mister only in high school…. by the way what did you mean by meeting me again?" Frank asked with amused curiosity, which Kory replied with grace and mirth. " I've seen you driving on the way to work…. Kory started laughing politely…. although you are most graceful in a straight line….", Frank rolling his eyes a bit, finally started a suppressed laughter replying back.

" I admit…. not my finest moment…. although honestly I was hoping you'd forget this little mishap… it is in my best interest to leave a good impression at the end of the day." Kory now couldn't contain an infectious smile on her face before saying.

"indeed you have succeeded….. much more than me,now before I forget my manners completely…. it's a pleasure to meet you Frank Crandel, my name is miss Kory Andres…"

Finally, Donna troy was done with the negotiations about her upcoming paycheck so she looked around to see where her friend was, however since she didn't go far she was able to spot her very easily, and with a man other than Dick non the less, a situation she found worth checking in to.

' I wonder how he would react to Kory seeing another man….. probably would drive him up the walls…. if I know him as much as I claim….'

Donna approached the two but before she could sneak in a word Kory made instant eye contact and rushed her friend for a quick introduction, "Donna I am most pleased that you came….. may I introduce you to my new friend…. Frank Crandel?, Donna this time was quick to respond. "I know him by reputation on set…. but I'm delighted to finally meet him in person….", Frank ever the gentleman and cool guy around, albeit that's what he'd like to think of himself most of the time, responded with a firm handshake followed by "likewise…. anyway where was I?…. oh yes, Kory….. I was wondering if you'd help me with something….. Kory and Donna for that matter were both curious so they both raised their eyebrows at Frank, signalling him to continue, now Frank felt a little nervous so he continued.

"It's not something too outrageous I can assure you….. it's just…. well, I'm new to this city, what's more to add I don't have a lot of friends either…. so if it's okay with you Kory, would you like to hang out with me sometimes…. and show me around the city….?" , Kory sensing no imminent danger from him smiled at him gently, while Donna on the other hand gave him a doubtful look saying 'look, I'll trust you for now, but if you break her heart…. I'll break both of your legs….'

Frank sensing the tention in the air as though he just stepped in a steaming sauna tried nervously tugging at his collar to let air in without much success, Kory sensing his discomfort stepped in the conversation.

"thanks I would love to Frank….. however not at this very moment…. I'm busy with work beyond modeling…. so if it is alright with you….. maybe 2 weeks from now….?"

Frank visibly relaxing made a gesture of thinking and pondering before replying. "if it works with you…. I guess it will work for me as well", feeling there can be no better outcome than this Frank finished packing the lighting equipment on the set and without delay started carrying them to his car, Kory feeling a little confused by his answer tried to clarify.

"so may I assume it's a date than?…." frank in is turn shot back teasingly with the following, "I don't know…. depends if we get along…. I wouldn't mind turning it into a date…. you know…. eventually".

'Eventually frank?… really?….. laying it there thick aren't ya….. even Ed wood would say it's too much….'. to his surprise only Donna thought the same as he when she gave that line an eye roll while Kory tried her best not to crack up as she waved him goodbye on her way towards the parking lot while Frank stayed just a bit longer to recollect his thoughts.

"well…. that was something…." he said quietly to himself, and then muttering to himself….. "I'm glad it didn't get any worse….." after thinking about if he had something else important to do that day, and coming to the conclusion that were none, he too went towards his car towards home-bound.

Donna's car, on her way to the apartment.

With Donna behind the wheel, both female Titans were now able to be concerned about what happened with the break in earlier today, and if there was any clear indication towards Donna's stress, it was the way she blocked any distraction happening on the road while also handling her car like a getaway driver, Kory sensing her friend's mood shift wanted to offer to take to the sky and fly towards the apartment building to make sure that the crime scene was not disturbed or contaminated any further, however she knew better than to try and distract Donna, besides it won't do her any good because she couldn't speak unless risking biting her tongue off due to the jerky maneuvering of the vehicle.

Trying to distract herself from her worries Kory tried to focus on anything else by the current situation, but to no avail the universe it seems had the worst timing with it's humor, cause just there and then a silver Pontiac Firebird came into view and did an over take of Donna's car without any sort of signaling or indication it was going to cut in, to the relief of Donna and Kory, the one driving never lost her cool, however Kory's heart almost skipped a bit as she tried to remember the drivers of the Pontiac, but with little success since just 2 names popped in her head, the one's that were printed on the shirts Don and Rob, other than that the only other thing which she could identify was the song blasting out of the car's stereo, Kick Start My Heart by the band Motley Crew.

'please universe…. I will not attempt to understand the mysterious ways in which you operate…. but I implore you….. must you keep perpetuate the meaning of irony to the point of redundancy…?'

At this point and time Kory began recognizing the parts of Jump city which were in vicinity of Donna's apartment which she was grateful that the manic driving of her friend have slowed down, and there were no more manic drivers on the road.

Inside Donna's apartment complex, early afternoon.

Donna and Kory, now in the mind set of Wonder Girl and Starfire, were closing in on Donna Troy's apartment, hoping that the break in scene was undisturbed but with no such luck, it appears that some of her neighbors has contacted the police and in return had sealed off the scene with yellow police lines and a patrol man right outside the doors. Starfire, to her credit, was always the quick thinker or at the very least had the quickest reactions, so she approached the police officer with an innocent demeanor.

"good afternoon officer….. Starfire quickly scanned the badge on his uniform for the name…. Peterusky….. my friend over here is Donna Troy and she is the woman who lives in this apartment…. however before she could continue the officer decided to cut in…. "and let me guess, she wants to go in…. to look around and check if anything else is missing…. am I getting the gist of it….?", starfire unphased by what happened just nodded in affirmation while the officer took a deep breath before replying.

"look I won't lie to you…. the pay is lousy…. it offers little to no benefits…. and little to virtually no vacation days…. but I am a family man, trying to provide for my little ones…. so unfortunately I have to set an example… so no I can't let you walk into an active crime scene and risk contaminating it."

At this point Donna intervene directly, "look officer I appreciate your honesty and effort…. however I really to need to go inside for a few minutes to pack a suitcase for an overnight stay at a hotel or a friend…. please sir, I promise to leave the scene just as it was." the officer in question saw the sincerity in her face and with a heavy sigh he caved in while lifting the police tape.

"5 minutes…. not a minute more…. and that means only you in case I wasn't clear". he directed the last part clearly at Donna, Donna nodded her head silently and went inside. Once inside she quickly scanned the state of the apartment, thankfully it wasn't too messy and there was no evidence of intimate items being stolen, she did however find one item that did not belong to her so she quickly took out a small digital camera she owned and took a picture of it for later analysis.

A few minutes have passed and donna came out of the apartment with a small suitcase indicating to Kory or rather Starfire she was ready to leave, but before she went with her friend, out of sheer politeness she thanked officer Peterusky for his cooperation.

Titan's tower, ops room, an hour later

Cyborg having returned to the tower from his civilian routine as Vic Stone, gym teacher extraordinaire had immediately began trying to track down the woman called Angel Dove, the only problem was that all he had to go with was a name he got from Donna, and a picture he got out of an engine search. A photo that could be reliable or not, although to be honest he didn't worry so much because unlike an average Joe he had exclusive access to satellite footage and street cams to rely on, so for the next few minutes he was busy searching for any scraps of data.

'well so far a learned a few things….. Donna is one lucky woman…. the missing woman I'm searching for is drop dead gorgeous… her real name suits her better…. I better make sure Sarah would never hear about my admission…. and the girl is up to her neck in shit due to her background'

Just as he was finishing his thoughts or rather mental notes, he heard the elevator dings to the current floor. Cyborg stopped, now trying to determine who was arriving this very moment, normally it wouldn't have bothered him who comes and goes out of the tower since he wasn't the kind of guy to make a big deal about keeping is secrets, besides secrets come out eventually as in their nature, however the last time someone surprised him while Cyborg was browsing online was Beast Boy, who either pesters and teases him about what he searches online or even more frightening constantly begs him to delete his latest history browser, and the last time he agreed to do a favor for Beast boy, his human side couldn't sleep a wink from the mental images Beast boy has unleashed on him.

Cyborg enhanced his hearing one last time and thankfully realized the steps belonged to his two friends Wonder Girl and Starfire, immediately releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, thinking to himself 'thank goodness', however that would be the only relaxing moment this time cause Wonder Girl from her posture was worried.

"tell me you got something Vic", Cyborg spared no second with his reply, "still searching…. but from what I did find…. her real name is Lawanda Brown…. a native New Yorker… no actual rap sheet…. but her ex boyfriend…. a guy who goes by the name of Silver, had turned states against some local low level mobsters…."

"so most likely she's been kidnapped to get to him…. Wonder Girl finished for Cyborg while adding some new info…. "by the way…. I found a glove that didn't belong to me…. I'm uploading a pic of it into the main computer…. can you search who made it, who bought it and when…", Cyborg only gave a nod with a cocky smile while Wonder Girl uploaded the photo.

Starfire feeling like she has nothing to add to the team at this moment by simply standing and watching from the side lines simply stated to her friends, "well if I cannot offer any assistance around the tower, perhaps it is best for me to head out on patrol and search for Angel from, how do you say it again?….. street level…."

The two remaining friends in the tower were busy with the monitor but still listening intently to their friend and leader Starfire, and after listening to her suggestion and finding no reason to decline the offer, they simple nodded in return giving a good indication that the idea was solid to act upon. Without a second to lose Starfire took off flying out of the tower, at first in no particular direction trying to form more of an idea as to where to look for useful clues.

'let me see…. if I was tracking a missing woman…. how would I go about it….. Richard would have gone straight to the source…. the city streets….. but I am not like him….. I do not use brutality to interogate….. only if the heat of battle calls for it…. besides the streets are too stress inducing….. I need to find a place where people are more inclined to relax…. and maybe divulge information…. with greater ease….. sounds like I'll have to fly to the local park…. mental note to one self…. I must not be afraid to assert myself…. if I am to be a worthy successor to Robin….'

In that instant Starfire immediately changed trajectory towards the local park.

Jump city park, late afternoon, early evening.

As true to her intentions Raven in her alias Rachael Roth, has spend most of the day outside, going around from shop to shop trying to find novels and thrillers to read that haven't came out yet or ones she haven't gotten to read and made it her mission to track down. Later on she even visited a local DVD and Blu Ray store to see if she could rent a few movies for movie night her thought process being….

'if my life is destined to be boring or uneventful….. at least I can make sure it won't center on a career… if you could call being a superhero a career….. or monotones if I'd have any say about it….. yet again knowing my friends they got that covered as well'

Reaching the park Rachael went and found a local kiosk, buying for herself a tasty treat and a lukewarm ice tea and went to find a nice quiet space to meditate to close the day before going home. She found such a place near the park's pond right on a green patch overlooking a row of benches filled with old people feeding either pigeons or stray alley cats, which ever came first.

It took a moment for Rachael to find center but once she did she immediately sat in a lotus position chanting her mantra and deeply breathing between each chant. Every once in a while she would stop to open her eyes for a bit, basking in the calming view of the park and it's occupants.

'I've been called a lot of things over the years…. an abomination….. a spawn of hell….. a monster….. a creep….. but my favorite out of all of them is eccentric….. which in all honesty I really do enjoy being called that….'

A few more minutes has passed as Rachael continued her meditation while noticing the elderly people in the park started to gather their belongings and shuffling back home as the sun started to set in, everything felt just about right when she heard a meowing close by to where she was currently standing, curious she averted her gaze towards the source of the noise, what she found in some respect was very humorous, it was a small gray kitten with patterns circling around the feet of a young man in his mid to late twenties begging to either being pet of fed, probably both. The man ever so grateful that someone took notice started a conversation.

"excuse me…. could someone help me please…. this cat doesn't let go of me and I'm trying to get home….. anybody?"

"you could just shoo her with your foot gently…. or pick her up and set her out of your way…. you know…" Rachael responded honestly finding the stray cat's affection heart warming, the man however tried hard not to lose his cool while replying. "gee…. why didn't I think of that…. well first of all, I personally don't believe it's right to use any violence on anyone who doesn't deserve it…. besides this kitten is already cute as it is….. so picking it up would make me want to adopt it…. which I can't do since I have 2 pets to feet at home, and that's quite enough as it is…. so please? A little help would be welcomed."

Rachael without even saying another word drew closer to the man and once she was in reach she started petting the kitten, to the man's surprise the kitten stopped meowing and visibly started to relax and purr giving the strange woman a confused look she simply stated. "it's my special gift to the world, I can take a living creature's sense of hunger or pain and make it my own." after the man was given an explanation the only thing that went in his head before accepting it was 'heh….. I live in a big city…. I've seen stranger shit than this one….' after a few moments the kitten disappeared into the nearest bushes when the man waved goodbye to the both of them and went home…. Rachael on the other hand looked visibly drained so she stayed behind to rest a bit, however someone very familiar approached her.

"can I help you in any way…. Beast boy….?"

Beast boy having been noticed came running along the lake path in the form of an older green alley cat carrying a sandwich wrapped in nylon dangling from his mouth, Rachael now in the mind set of Raven just quirked an eyebrow at the display as Beast boy laid down the sandwich while transforming back into a human- somewhat to try and explain.

"well I witnessed that entire scene from before….. so I brought a light snack, non vegan, if you're asking… and it's not just me, we got a new mission and we need all hands on deck."

Raven silently took the sandwich while thanking him and making a small gesture to elaborate further which being the most verbal of the bunch, immediately got back on track. "while Donna has convinced Kory to take another model's place in a photo-shoot, she discovered that the model who bailed on her has vanished off the face of the earth, he added dramatically…. anyway, cyborg has managed to dig up some info about her, and well….. she kept bad company in the past, so her disappearing is most likely a kidnapping…. so Donna and Kory asked me to help search…. and I'm asking you to help."

Raven now understanding most of it simply asked. "if this is a kidnapping or rather an abduction, shouldn't the police get involved?…. not to mention they could probably give us a basic clue for us to work with…. like a last known address." she added the last bit in a dry and dead pan tone which caused Beast boy to sigh before replying.

"not to say I don't see your logic in that…. but did you forget that last time we dealt with the police it didn't end on a sweet note…. besides if we get lucky not to fall on a corrupt cop, do you think they'd have the time of day to allocate most of their resources on a missing person case?"

Raven for the first time while talking to Beast boy had no words to say in her mind however 'damn him…. I don't know what pisses me off more…. the fact that he's right….. or the fact that I have no way to counter him'. however instead of showing her anger and frustration, she took a moment of silence to think before answering.

"let's look at the facts. She's a model right….. which means she's most likely self promoting on social media platforms…. right?" she get's a small nod from Beast boy which is followed by a knowing grin. "great idea…. we could ask Cyborg to analyze pics of her home and get her address that way….. wait a minute….. what if she's not on social media….." Beast boy now took a few moments to think before weirdly enough Raven just dead panned. "we'll ask her Address from her employers" Beast boy replied comically, "I was thinking of hacking a satellite but your plan will work too".

On the way back to Titan's tower, around 7 pm.

Beast boy and Raven were both flying in their favorite mode of transport, Raven using her powers to levitate and fly and Beast boy transformed into a crow to keep her from feeling lonely, the gesture didn't register right with Raven because she couldn't register as to whether to take it as a compliment or an unintentional insult. Since deep down the loud mouth of her adoptive friends and family genuinely meant well she chose the former over the latter and kept on going, however mid flight she noticed that Beast boy was unusually quiet and for lack of better words more focused than usual, she was about to ask why he wasn't acting out or showing off but since they were getting close to Titan's roof she decided to postpone the conversation to a little bit later. Once they both landed Raven headed straight inside only to discover Beast boy standing still a few feet away from her unresponsive, well until he threw a question at her.

"are we to blame….. for Robin's death And Dick's disappearance….? Raven having an idea where the conversation simply asked to make sure. "in what sense do you mean it Gar?" Beast boy not caring that Raven used his real name just continued.

"it's no secret that we stick our noses where it Don't belong….. hell some of us thrive on it… we should have done the same for Dick…. he tried to bare the weight of the world on his shoulders for us, and what do we do?….. instead of keeping him in balance…. we just kept on the pressure coming until he snapped" disappointment washing over him like a title wave. Raven had no words to console him so she opted to tell him the truth, no matter how harsh, cold or even downright ugly.

"that's right we did do nothing to help or to ease him, even worse we took him for granted….. we're responsible for the consequences of our actions and inaction's alike….. Beast boy was now visibly reeling from invisible punches being thrown at his face….. but never forget, Raven continued, Both Richard and Robin were responsible for their actions….. and both chose the hardest choice of it all, Richard admitting to his failure and returning to the point where it all started for him as a crime fighter…. while Robin was laid to rest on the battle field."

Beast boy now visibly confused quirked an eyebrow effectively asking 'did I miss something?, how did you know?, he never said anything to us' Raven now looking at him with a small glimmer of guilt in her eyes.

"i may or may not silently read his mind before he took off into the night like The Lone Ranger. Beast boy couldn't stop snickering now while thinking 'you sneaky little girl you'

Raven only slightly scoffed at the expression while lazily rolling her eyes before pulling on his ear and ushering him inside while he comically scrunches in irritation over this act, surprisingly enough showing little to no resistance or defiance.

Titan's tower, ops room

Cyborg for the last few hours was stuck or rather has stuck himself for monitor duty for the last couple of hours virtually trying to find a needle in a hay stack, he combed over traffic footage, satellites feeds, police records and file incidences, even a few social media accounts with no real luck. However quitting for him is never an option both as a principal and a character attribute, having a quick rest however was not out of the question.

'now how shall I go about it….. a light snack first…. a quick tune up to my arms and legs in case they pop out….. maybe see what's on TV?…. maybe both at the same time?' before he could finish his thoughts he get's an alert that someone is in the kitchen so in a sense someone made the choice for him, with that in mind he makes his way to the kitchen.

When arriving to said destination he noticed that Raven and Beast boy have returned, however he did not make himself present because a rare scene occurred between them, a cute meet if you will. Both were in the kitchen making light dinners for each other, well Beast boy helping Raven reach the top shelf were her most rare teas are stored while she on the other hand reheated a pizza along with a calzone making sure there are no traces of meat on said pizza, however before anything could or might happen they both noticed they had audience, at this both teens cocked their eyebrows, leaving Cyborg to defend himself.

"i didn't mean to intrude….. it's just that I didn't expect such intimacy from the resident married couple….. I mean everyone around the tower is used to throw that term around jokingly….. so I'm glad you're taking it seriously…."

Both teens felt uncomfortably warm, Beast boy trying to avert his gaze to anywhere boy but his two friends trying to recollect some semblance of a coherent thought while Raven took the opportunity to focus on the pizza currently reheating to try and rein in her emotions from making a war zone out of the surrounding area when Beast boy finally got his tongue to start working.

"any updates on the missing model…."?. Cyborg nodded in a no motion while adding "I tried finding her on social media too….. found nothing useful except selfies of her mugging the camera on every opportunity…. but maybe I can check if I can pin point the general direction of her home…. adding jokingly…. have fun you two….. don't do something I wouldn't do…. with that Cyborg left them Speechless…. yet again.

The tension in the air between the two was thicker than pea soup and effectively could be cut down with a knife, however said uncomfortable feeling didn't last long cause the microwave dinged signaling the pizza is warm and ready, so both at the same time make a turn towards dinner,nearly bumping into each other adding to the awkwardness from before, Beast boy takes a step back to leave Raven enough room to move about, Raven in turn silently takes the slices of pizza out and centers them on the kitchen table while both of them sit down to eat.

Raven and Beast boy were eating quietly at this point, perhaps too quietly, which made Beast boy a little anxious, he almost broke the silence with a conversation until Raven simply beat him to it.

"so….. that was something….." Beast boy could only nod in agreement while eating, replying afterwards, "yeah….. that's one way of putting it….. I guess…. one thing I know for sure….. I definitely don't want Cyborg blurting it out again….", Raven only giving him an expression that said 'no argument there'. the meal continued quietly until Raven spoke out again.

"do we really look like a couple….?" Raven asked while confusion clearly showing on her face, while Beast boy now more assure of himself than ever, just said.

"sure we are…. around here we're a couple of comedians… you're the straight woman and I'm the crazy goof…." earning in the process a genuine laugh from Raven. "that's actually funny….. but I asked in a romantic sense…". Beast boy went quiet and serious for a few moments, taking the time to think before answering.

"honestly…. this will sound weird….. you're far from being an ugly girl…. actually to the truth is to the contrary….. but you're not my type….. hell I'm not really sure I have a type…. I just know that most of the girls I had a crush on were blondes and redheads." Beast boy expected an angry Raven to berate him for being blunt and somewhat insensitive, he felt like doing it to himself, however Raven simply came closer and gave him a heartfelt hug while whispering in his ear 'thanks for being yourself', releasing him a moment later leaving him in a state of mild shock, lasting a few moments until Cyborg came rushing into the room.

"alert Wonder Girl and Starfire, I found a couple of fresh leads….. two cars, one black 1982 Plymouth Gran Fury and one silver Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III….. by the way man…. are you gonna finish that pizza man?….. forgot to eat today." Beast boy scarfs the slice he already had in his hand, nodding to Cyborg that he can have the rest while he heads to notify the other titans in the tower.

Later that night the team reconvened in Titan's ops room to decide who is best suited for a late rescue mission, ideally it should stand to reason all the titans should go, unfortunately someone had to stay behind to guard the tower and better yet take emergency calls if they should happen, so the following was decided, Starfire, Raven and Beast boy were chosen to search for Angel Dove, while Wonder Girl and Cyborg remained on stand by.

Out on the streets of Jump city with Starfire, Raven and Beast boy

Starfire and Raven took to the city's sky line hoping against hope that they would find the car Angel Dove was last seen in, but with such a wide perimeter to search on, plus the fact that it was getting close to the middle of the night, so most of the expectations came crashing down on Beast boy, but hey no pressure….. for in his case he turned into the most dependable tracking animal he could think of…. a bloodhound, and after going seemingly on a wild goose chase for a few blocks, he signaled his friends to reconvene on him, once all of them caught up to one another Beast boy transformed back to human form saying.

"i got good news….. and I got bad news…." the expressions on Raven and Starfire didn't reassure him in the slightest urging him to continue.

"well I was able to pick up petrol scent towards north and north west, recently fresh too….. the bad news is it's mixed with cheap colon and perfume…. which could belong to anyone in the area alone…. not to mention an entire city….", Raven ever the logical one asked him calmly.

"anything else that could help us….?" Beast boy takes a quick second to think before tossing out. "yeah actually…. I get a weird scent of what might be hand sanitizer or maybe…. Disinfectants." Raven takes a moment to think and then turns to Starfire to see if she's on the same page as her, once Starfire confirms Raven's unasked question turns back to Beast boy.

"keep on that scent….. I have a better idea on where we could find Angel…"

Beast boy now finally understanding where all of this is going nodded briefly before turning back into a bloodhound to continue sniffing for more clues.

'please for the love of god don't let me find a dead animal…. or even worse….. don't let the sewer system flood the streets tonight'

Outside of an abandoned private clinic 22:30

Two cars pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned building just a few blocks away from the city's shore lines, more importantly those cars were the 1982 Plymouth Gran Fury and the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III the Titans been searching for. Out of the Plymouth came out four individuals, three of them were gangsters carrying the forth person which was the missing woman in question. Being dragged across the street by one of her abductors the woman tried to scream, yell,and fuss about without end didn't manage to get results since her 'bodyguard' was 100 pounds and counting more heavier than her, non the less her antics have gained the attention and ire of the other gentlemen around, the other two gangsters that had 'helped' her out of the car, and an eastern European looking man dressed in doctor's garbs that came out of a 50's sci-fi B-movie. One of the gangsters, an average guy with an average build and stature was loosing his patience quickly and without hesitation or warning produced a stubby shotgun he was concealing underneath his leather and wool jacket and struck the woman with the grip of his weapon on the back of her neck rendering her unconscious, the fat mobster who now was holding the woman started snickering at his friends antic while said friend kept quiet while signaling the last of the bunch to help escort the guest back inside, in the meantime the fat man was ignored and left alone but before he could complain about it the European pulled a Walther P38 from his person and shot him right between the eyes, the other two looked visibly upset, ready to draw their guns and ventilate the fucker, however with a single hand gesture he stopped them while commenting with a thick accent.

"it's one thing to waste my considerable talents and skills on a filthy Kaffir woman…. I do not need an unruly animal which cannot be controlled….. therefore I will not tolerate an imbecile, who in turn cannot restrain such animal….. now turning to the man who stunned her… for your sake, that my canvas is not damaged as to be rendered….. how mien American freunde say… useless… now let's not waste a second more than what we already wasted."

The others begrudgingly agreed with his fucked up point of view and carried the guest inside to the abandoned clinic not before of course mumbling and cursing their otherwise icy colleague, while he didn't lift a single finger out of place while contemplating what to do with the impromptu cadaver on his hands.

'for now I'll put him in the Plymouth…. as for later…. the best course of action is to make processed meat out of him…. and feeding him either to the dogs… or the simpletons that came with him…. either way it doesn't really matter, only my job does.'

Inside the abandoned clinic, after a few minutes.

The two goons from before came in with the woman in toe, following the direction of their 'associate' into a blindingly white and well preserved room, containing right in the middle a rigged operating table with operating lights, like the ones that can be found at a dentists office, a separate compartment joined to the table containing rubbing alcohol for sterilizing the operating equipment which included an assortment of surgical knifes, clamps, mallets, mirrors and forceps, lastly but not least the table came with neck, head and limbs leather restraints….

The goons getting visibly sick from imagining what could happen in the next few seconds opted to lay the 'maiden of honor' on the table and wait it out for the expert to arrive, a few minutes have passed in the meantime when the expert entered the room, he gave one quick glance at the surroundings and gave the other two his assessment and orders as though they were orderlies.

"I've seen you've made my patient comfortable…. many thanks to you mein fine fellows…. now before we proceed with the procedure…. I must ask you to strip her off completely…. chop chop."

The other 'fellows' as they were called had no qualms adhering to the instructions of what now appears was the head surgeon, stripping the woman's clothes exposing her bare breasts and crotch to the gentlemen currently present, the goon with the shotgun now was having a thought while still holding the woman's lingerie so he approached calmly to the one about to operate.

"Herr Bunt…. if you don't mind me asking…. what would happen if just by sheer circumstance Ms. Dove over there should end up being…. sexually violated?" Herr bunt did not move a muscle, didn't flinch and for that matter hasn't even been disturbed by the suggestion, instead he simply asked.

"I believe there is a rational logic in play behind such…. vulgarities?" the goon just answered him in a matter of fact manner "not only do you witness such a good specimen of human biology…. but we'll also need to make sure we could distance ourselves from the police's attention if…. something goes horribly wrong" Herr Bunt was pleasantly surprised by how eloquent the gangster explained himself so he made sure to make his point short.

"you Americans will never cease to amaze me at how barbaric you could be…. so let me make myself clear I do not care for Kaffirs, to me they're nothing but subspecies filth…. so after my work is done, you may have your way with her…. how do your people say it?…. oh yes…. you sick fucks."

Before anyone had the opportunity to comment on that indirect insult Angel Dove begin to stir from her concussion which immediately alerted Herr Bunt and his associates, without a moments notice the resident 'surgeon' started ordering around again.

"quickly…. before she wakes up and regain conciseness…. fasten the restraints around her ankles, heels, neck and forehead….". the gangsters worked quickly and efficiently finishing just in time to see Angel start slowly gaining a sense of perception and when she started recollecting what had happened and where she is, panic started kicking in.

Eyes dilating, muscles constricting and mind registering that it was in her best interest to scream, Angel tried to do those all at once thrashing from her current position to no avail while the other three waited with a sick smile of amusement on their faces. A few moments have passed like that until Angel's adrenaline levels have considerably dropped until she was in a right state of mind to talk, mind you the sense of panic never died down.

"what the fuck is this?… what have you done to me you sick bastards… someone better explain to me what the hell I'm doing here….. naked of all things….. before I get loose and murder every last one of you…. you damn fuckers….. AAAHHHH…."

After that scream, the gangster who chose to remain silent up until now came closer to Angel in order to explain her situation while simultaneously caressing roughly her entire body.

"oh the bitch wants answers….. how lovely…. well there cutey….. I would like them too, you see I was your ex's best friend…. and well I heard he's been talking behind my back…. spewing bullshit about me, my friends and my family…. so I pay him a visit…. to try and 'reason' with him…. 'persuade' him to shut his mouth before his crap would reach the police…. funny thing though…. when I came over…. I found him already with his mouth shut permanently…. now since he won't talk to me…. maybe you'd like to talk…. since you were so tight…. at this point he jammed his finger down her pussy making her convulse in pain….. oh and I suggest you do it fast…. or otherwise the German fuck in the doc's scrubs…. pointing to Herr Bunt…. well, he'll remove your entire bottom jaw while you'll get a front row seat to watch it all happen… very slowly…. not to mention painfully… Savvy?"

Angel's panic at this point intensifies while trying to the best of her abilities to come up with the right words to stop the bastards from turning her into a biology experiment gone wrong but to no avail… until she asks the following question….

"what part of all of this requires me being fucking naked"?

Not wanting to waste another minute Herr Bunt simply replied, "unfortunately for you mein little Kaffir…. blood splatter is simply unavoidable ….". at that the crazy fuck took a thin curved knife designed to peel skin and started chipping away at Angel's face, all she could do in the process was struggle and cry as she felt every action as though she was eaten alive by insects.

Back with the Teen Titans.

Beast boy as a bloodhound kept sniffing for clues, occasionally raising one ear than the other one to try and hone in on any distinct sounds that could indicate his was on the right track, luckily enough after a few moments he was close enough to catch what sounded like a muffled scream, not sure if it was a human scream or the kind of scream you'd here on a TV set, he continued staying on the path while even picking up the pace when he was sure his ears were not deceiving him, thankfully he got a second opinion when the resident medic of the Titans Raven began feeling and experiencing pain on the magnitude of torture which caused her to waver from her flight, however by this point Starfire made sure to act as a rock for her, continuing on his path Beast boy thought about turning to a human when he saw the targeted cars however before a fought could clearly pass through he involuntarily turned back once he got close to the drive way due to the sensitivity of his senses, unable to hold it in he began to cough when he spoke

"good got all…. mighty….. what the hell is that stench…." he searched for a bit until he located the source of the smell, fixing his gaze at the Plymouth's trunk, Raven now landing near him understood where he was coming from since she too had issues from time to time with, like right now cause the pain she felt earlier intensified, she started patting him calmly on his back. "take a deep breath, avert your eyes…. and lean in to me if you absolutely have to….. Beast boy did the first two parts while stating….. "no time…. we need to save her right now before she's next to be turned into a corpse…." he said while still coughing just a little less violently and loudly, Starfire who just arrived pitched in favor of Beast boy. "agreed, but let us keep the body count as low as possible…. on both sides."

Back at the operating table.

Herr Bunt has stopped for a little while the operation, instructing the orderlies to go into the back room and retrieve a fairly old radio set from there. A few moments go by and the radio is already plugged in, Herr Bunt goes through a number of stations and songs before settling down on Garry Rafferty Baker Street before resuming his surgery.

Beast boy was the first to enter through the abandoned building, from what he could see it was a relatively old building kept well maintained, the second detail was that the complex had very narrow corridors and very narrow staircases to boot so transforming into animals at this point was ill advised, so he opted to run on foot until he could locate the exact door, running those flight of steps he could only think of one thing.

'good thing I do cardio on a regular basis'

Even though he wasn't a hound or any other kind of tracking animal he still could hear the screams from who most likely is to be Angel, so he took off running up the stairs through the first, second, third all the way to the sixth floor where he came across a narrow corridor which led to a singular entrance, an apartment converted into a private clinic. Since he was in a rush he thought about charging in but the run up the stairs, however he decided to catch his breath and catch the sick bastards by surprise and calmly stepped to the entrance and started repeatedly knocking and ringing the door bell.

On the other side of the door.

The gangster who carried the shotgun, now having nothing to do while watching the 'performance piece' tried doing so in peace and quiet, key word here trying, since he couldn't ignore the insistent knocking and ringing reaching his ears, apparently it got that bad even the good 'doctor' could stomach it no more before snapping.

"would someone get the fucking door already….. I'm trying to perform a very delicate procedure….. do it, or someone else in this room would get jabbed with my knifes repeatedly in his…. or hers throat". he added the last part screaming at the top of his lungs for the extra effect, the one trying to enjoy himself went to answer the door mumbling and muttering to himself.

'Jesus fucking Christ….. the nerve of some people…. who taught them to act like animals for crying out loud…. wait a fucking moment were not expecting anybody… are we?'

Anger turned into confusion by the time he reached and opened the door, which intensified since he was now seeing a literal green Ram charging at him like a battering ram, sending him a few feet across the room winded and barely conscious, the last thing to go through his mind before passing out was,

'oh fuck….'

Before the other criminals in the room could even register what had happened or reach for their guns for that matter Beast boy continued charging as a Ram only to leap towards the surgeon, transforming mid air into an alley cat, landing on his face and viciously claw at his face until the pain paralyzed him, without missing a beat beast boy leaped into the air once again only to change himself into a Pit-bull using the massive frame of the dog to crash land on the last of the gangsters knocking him effectively unconscious.

'fine work if I do say so myself….. and I do' Beast boy said proudly to himself, with his own ego swelling with pride he failed to notice one thing, the surgeon he pounced on has now for a few moments tried to stand up while absorbing his pain. Once he found enough strength to stand up he tried reaching for his side arm, once in hand he tried aiming it towards Beast boy's head. At first he wanted to catch the little swine of guard, however he figured that he would enjoy seeing his latest victim's expression of horror before he'll get shot.

"it pains me to do this… you could have been an interesting subject to experiment and…. dissect on….."

This however was his final downfall, for just when he was about to pull the trigger a small green blast was shot at his hand making him lose his grip on his weapon, followed by a swift orange punch to his face knocking him out, Beast boy staring in awe at what happened, Starfire gave him a friendly smile and a short explanation.

"i have been training for a while to channel my star bolts into a projectile through my index finger…. the idea came from Richard…."

Raven in the meanwhile unnoticed by the other two made her way towards Angel to asses her medical condition, both physically and psychologically. On the surface level it would appear that Angel only suffered a few bruises and was missing some of her skin on both cheeks, however the more Raven got close the more she felt the agony, panic and rage emitting from the unwilling patient. So it was decided by Raven that it would be best to tend the inner wounds first, she released Angel from the straps and gave her cloak to use as a blanket, explaining what she was about to do as she began it. After a few moments of healing Raven Stopped to Give Angel a few moments to breath while she searched for her clothes, in the meantime Raven addressed he teammates.

"make sure the abductors are all rounded up and under careful watch…. I'm not done healing her properly, and we can't afford to be complacent at this point."

Seeing no flaws in her arguments yet again…. the rest of the titans present did as Raven suggested…. well took charge actually. Angel reaching for her Bra and panties quickly got dressed under Raven's cloak while Beast boy and Starfire were done rounding up the gangsters, made sure to relieve them of their weapons just to be thorough with securing themselves and the kidnapping victim.

Angel's exposed chins began to relax as Raven's hands traveled along her face covering thoroughly the wound to the best of her ability, however that relaxing and pleasant sensation quickly gave way to an unpleasant pressure when she felt her skin cells stimulating and replacing the dead tissue during the skin's rejuvenation, Raven sensed what Angel felt tenfold but she could not stop just of a slight discomfort. On the contrary she held Angel's head in place while adding pressure to the exposed nerves and facial muscles. After Raven felt she had done the best as she could under the circumstances she released her patient from her grip.

Angel feeling pissed off at the moment gave Raven a death glare that sent a clear message. 'what the fuck is wrong with you, you crazy bitch…. that really fucking hurts' rubbing her face, she saw Raven simply giving her a dead pan look before shooting back with her signature monotone.

"i wouldn't do that if I were you….. while I did heal you to the best of my capabilities, I'd still recommend seeking professional medical care…. unless you'd risk scarring that face of yours…." Angel's only reply was. "considering what those three stooges over there tried to do…. scarring at this point would be inescapable." She scanned the room in Search for Starfire and once she saw her, she addressed her directly.

"hey Goldie….. mind getting my purse out of the Rolls….. while Wednesday Addams and puke face over there make sure I'm still safe over here…it's the silver car by the way miss brains in her tits…."

Starfire got really angry at Angel's comments towards her friends first and then hers. However she chose the high road and suffered the insult in dignity, nodding in approval while she exited the room, Raven however was more direct with her and made no attempt to hide some of the venom towards the victim's ungrateful behavior while practically throwing her clothes in her face.

"first, I did not give you my cloak as a present…. second, get the rest of your clothes on….. unless you're planning to add exhibitionism to your resume"

With that Raven went to join Beast boy before something could go wrong…. it's Murphy's law after all…

Raven now standing close to where Beast boy was, opted to focus intently on the captives trying to discern any sorts of small undetected movements or intent, however something about the rescued woman felt completely off, by that it means that most of the emotions involving an abduction are there, fear, shame, hysteria, anger and rage….. however the emotion that now prevailed above all else was the one she'd least associate with the situation and that was malice. However being cruel to someone who's been cruel to you from the start wasn't illogical. Beast boy sensing Raven's confusion only gave her the most serious of stares indicating that whatever goes on in that mind of hers, she should act on said intuition. Raven in-sync with what Beast boy said in his silence contacted Starfire via mental link.

'Starfire do not panic…. it's me, I'm sending in my thoughts because I have reasons to believe that we can't under any circumstance trust Angel Dove'. Starfire's response simply was. 'thank X'hal I'm not the only one who thought on the very same notions…. for a moment I believed my warrior's training has made me rather paranoid….. other than that I believe everything should be under order?'

Raven gave a small grunt before responding. 'apart from Beast boy suffering from minor pains…. everything is A-OK…. anyway I gotta go before his pains in the neck becomes literally mine….. Raven out…'

Outside the abandoned clinic, next to the silver Rolls Royce.

Starfire has located Angel's purse and as she lifted it she felt it alarmingly heavy so she took the liberty of searching the content of the purse coming across a barreta 9mm handgun with no serial numbers on it, from little that what she learned on criminal behavior from Richard, it didn't surprise her to discover such an item, instead she decided to melt it with a small radiation of energy from her palm, instead she was now steadfast to get to the bottom of the matter, the only thing that did puzzle her was a small thought regarding her friends upstairs so she decided to let that thought escape quietly.

'silly Raven….. I do not understand for the life of me why you can't accept it that you care deeply about your friend Beast boy….. honestly if I didn't find it saddening and pathetic….. I would have found your attempts at denial rather amusing.… kory'andr you should be ashamed at yourself…. for allowing yourself to think like that…'

With that Starfire decided that she stalled the inevitable long enough and quickly made he way back into the clinic.

Back at the clinic Raven was now fully tending to Beast boy's bruises while muttering on how the bitch in the room should pray that she didn't leave her stench on her cloak. Beast boy overhearing her couldn't help but chuckle at that while responding

"that bitch stinks more on the inside….. besides it's not worth getting worked up about it….. it's not like we'll see her anytime soon."

At this point Raven couldn't help but admire Beast boy's….. level headed approach and attitude to the situation, but before she could comment on it Starfire came charging in holding loosely a melted hand gun in front of her, an unamused expression etched on her face indicating 'explain fast or else….' Angel started chuckling for a bit before responding.

"wow… you're sharp considering you're a glorified bimbo…. that said…. I had that piece for protection…. can you blame me?" Starfire had no response to that but she still eyed her with suspicion, adding to the suspicion already permeating in Raven and Beast boy. Angel sighing decided there is no point in pretending anymore simply relaxed her stature and just flat out started telling the truth.

Alright…. you people ain't stupid…. it wasn't just for protecting little old me…. you see…. I tried setting up my ex and this guys so they would pop each other…. as you see that didn't work."

Raven not the least bit surprised or impressed only motioned her to continue, no doubt that her teammates feel the same.

"well what can I say?….. I'm a girl who wants cash and luxury…. so I hooked up with this guy named silver…. a mob guy who had cash to spend…. problem was, I became property of the mob…. and that wasn't gonna go through quietly for me…"

Raven continued. "so you set all those people up so you could take the money and run…. did I get it just about right?".

Angel at this point couldn't contain a wry smile on her face indicating Raven was right on the money with her assessment adding one last detail.

"you forgot one thing Miss Addams…. after I'm done talking…. you're gonna turn those pretty heads of yours around…. and I walk out of here"

Starfire was not impressed by the vague threat/suggestion. "you say if we are going to let it happen… which we do not, so I ask you what are you going to do about it?"

Angel expecting such an outcome searched the room quickly she noticed some of the surgical knifes was still on the platter near the table, so she grabbed the first one she could find and tried sticking it near her throat, but before the instrument could reach the target, she noticed that a black aura around her hand was preventing movement completely, before she could react she heard Starfire speak yet again.

"Do not mistake our kindness with foolishness…. now as I see it you have two choices, the first option is turning yourself to the police, admitting to your crime much like you did with us…. or the second option, you could try to run and hide for the rest of your life…. the choice is yours, so you better choose wisely…"

Miffed at what Angel was hearing right now she just yelled at Starfire. "oh yeah…. well what the fuck you know…. you're not the police that could tell me what to do…. you're not even human to begin with." Starfire took a few moments of silence before she replied back. "you are right about all of it…. however I'm a survivor like you, who brutally maimed and killed to survive…. the only difference so far is I adapted to the choices I made and adopted a new way of life which hopefully could help me to live with the repercussions of my actions…. no matter how justified they were…. now you face your own, how well will you fare I wonder?"

Anger still apparent on Angel's face, did no indication that she took Starfire's speech to heart, instead opting to leave the room angrily. Raven and Beast boy tried to follow right after, however Starfire stopped them indicating that they done all that could be done. Looking at the criminals however she did instruct them to leave an anonymous call to the police before going home themselves.

Titan's tower living room the next day.

After an uneasy night of sleep, Starfire sat in front of the TV trying to listen to the local news only to discover that the criminals from yesterday would be facing indictment for their crime and that unfortunately Angel's body as been discovered after falling to her death from her apartment complex, her cause of death has yet to be determined by the M.E, disappointment clear on her face.

'kory'andr, now more than ever be thankful that you have people you can call friends'.

After a while Kory wandered towards the phone hoping to call Frank, in the hopes he would consider to push their friendly date into probably a few days, maybe a week instead of two.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 03: heart breaker

 **author's note: this chapter concludes the story that began in chapter 02**

'fun fact about assholes, no one is ever truly born that way, it's either you teach yourself to become one cause you like it or because you have to become it….. my name is Frank Crandel, and I'm an asshole by necessity….'

Frank Crandel, the blue colored worker Kory Andres met on her last photo-shoot was currently enjoying a decadent breakfast of grilled cheese mixed in with a slice of ham and an obscene amounts of butter covering the inner sides of the toasted bread, made in the kitchen of his shared apartment with his often absent and quite practically non existent roommate. the apartment itself was a modest three bedroom living space presented with white colored walls and beige floor tiles being accented with white furniture being broken up by silver stands and silver appliances accompanied by simple but striking paintings and a few potted plants to breathe some life into the space. Speaking of which the apartment's piece de resistance was a fairly large balcony capable of housing a garden and an occasional guest. The point being is that the apartment did not match the image Frank was representing, which was a hard life and hard boiled guy living from his hand to the mouth.

Midway through eating his toast Frank decided it would be more fun to eat while listening to music on TV, so he moved to the living room but before he continued eating he made sure his phone was nearby in case of calls or texts, he turned the TV set to VH1 classics and let the channel do the rest while he continued eating, in the meantime two music videos were over by the time he finished eating, Hall and Oat's Out Of Touch and Duran Duran's The Reflex. Frank in no particular rush to go anywhere let the TV run a while longer and when he felt he had enough he turned the set off and went to clear his dish, while he was busy with that his phone started ringing and he received a text message. Having an idea on who tried to contact him he wasn't in a rush to reply, now glancing at his phone he saw the following query

'don't try my patience…. made any significant progress?' Frank only responding him in equal measure. 'get your shit together…. you and your company will get what you want…. however it's a slow and tedious process'

With his breakfast almost virtually ruined Frank contemplated between going out to bathe in the sun on the balcony, or take a small stroll to the mini mart to stock up his fridge, checking the nice weather outside he decided to chose the latter rather than the former.

Out on the streets of Jump city, early morning

Frank walked with a slow pace from the apartment to the mini mart simply because he had nothing pressing on his mind to do and because he likes to take in all that the big city has to offer, even if in this very moment was car exhaust from speedy drivers and general showoffs. To some people that would be a disturbance but for him that was considered a given fact, like missing an elevator when you're in a rush. He continued to pace for a few more moments before his phone started ringing, he took out his phone and waited a few seconds, since his ringtone was Call me by Go West, however as soon as he saw the caller ID he answered it fast, as though his life depended on it.

"hi, go for frank, I'm listening…." Starfire took a moment before answering, mostly because she wasn't expecting this kind of greeting, but mainly it was his odd sense of phrasing…. 'hello Frank, this is Kory Andres speaking…. may I ask something from you please'. it was odd to Frank, usually he would find such formalities grating and unnecessary, however coming from Kory it felt absolutely delightful so he felt he should repay her the favor.

"why miss Andres, how may I be of service to you?" at this point he was hearing her stifle a small giggle before continuing. 'well, I can't express it differently but recently I've been feeling lonely, sullen and confused by the world around me… so I'll appreciate the company of a good friend and companion, would you like to lend a hand with that… let us say next week?'

"well…. Frank began…. I don't keep good company…. nor can I refer you to good friends….. but would you settle for little old me instead?". there was no mistaking it this time Frank definitely heard a joyful laugh escape Kory's mouth which in turn made him smile as well while hearing her reply.

"yes I would very much love that…. so next week then?" now it was Frank's turn to laugh a little before saying. "oh alright next week it is…. text me the details as to where and when and I'll coordinate accordingly" all he heard after that was her excitement before saying goodbye and hanging up.

'gee…. if I wasn't such an asshole, it would've killed me to do what I'm about to put her through…. it's a good think it was never personal…'

With that came Kory's text with the time, date and place for the meeting, which for some reason it didn't garner any emotional response from Frank whatsoever. He didn't even bother contacting his employers.

Titan's tower's pool area.

Kory Andres feeling the rush of excitement from earlier decided instead of suppressing them, she decided to alleviate them with an healthy exercise, so she opted for swimming for a good while until either fatigue started kicking in or she felt herself completely relaxed both emotionally and physically. A few moments of physical activity passed by and unbeknownst to Kory Donna has arrived to the pool side, deciding to surprise Kory this time, she began stripping off her clothes completely and began stretching exercises before launching herself into the pool like an arrow head, meeting her friend in the middle of the lane, giving her a friendly hug, leaving Kory to gasp in delighted surprise while she regulates her breathing.

"oh Donna….. what a wonderful surprise….. for what is this momentous occasion?"

Donna slightly surprised gave Kory a quizzical expression before enlightening her hair out of her eye sight and clearing the chlorine out of her eyes. Kory took it as a sign to elaborate.

"well….. I have failed to save your friend…. and co worker Angel…. I made a promise I could have kept…. and I did not." disappointment was clearly shown on Kory's face, Donna however waved it off by saying.

"first of all, you didn't fail…. she would've suffered a more brutal and inhumane fate if it wasn't for your efforts….. and most importantly…. we were never close as friends, not like you and me are…. saying that I do regret not having the chance to befriend her anymore…. despite what she's really like, but nothing much else…"

At this point all Kory could've done is give a passionate hug to Donna wording the words 'Thank you' in the process, to which Donna only patted Kory's head like a mother comforting her child, a few moments passed before Donna started wondering out loud to Kory.

"Say are we gonna continue swimming?….. or just stand in the middle of the pool naked, waiting to catch a cold?." all that Kory could do now was laugh a little at her friend's comment, before signaling with her body movement that they would do another lap around the pool before heading out, well not before Donna made a sweep of the area to make sure no odd green shaded animals were around or close to the pool area.

Titan's tower hanger, towards early afternoon

Beast boy was currently hanging out at the tower's main hanger where the T-jet, one of cyborg's many prides and joys are currently moored. to be specific Beast boy was laying down trying to catch a quick nap and gather his thoughts when Raven came passing thru however she didn't comment on what she saw but let Beast boy continue what he was doing for a few minutes, however the longer she let this silent Beast boy alone it made her somewhat irritated and slightly worried for his well being especially when she could tell he felt either depressed or defeated. Therefore she took a page out of his book.

"mind getting down from there?….. you're gonna drive people crazy if you keep this up." Beast boy didn't respond he just kept on sighing and deeply kept focusing on what was on his mind, Raven was not amused to say the least, Beast boy just kept ignoring her as though she wasn't there.

'OK this pity party is about over and done with' Raven now lifted herself of the ground and landed next to him, Beast boy still pretending like she isn't there was at least considerate enough to leave a little area for her to situate in, the consistence of the inconsistent everyone. Any way Raven saw there was no change present with Beast boy, so she decided on the approach that was best suited for her, being blunt and threatening. "this is a no moping zone…. intrigued by the threat in her tone Beast boy quirked an eyebrow in response saying, 'or what'. seeing that she made progress Raven continued, "or I'll mop the floor with you…. now talk!"

Beast boy finally started to speak. "I'm tired ok?!, I'm tired of trying too hard…. I'm tired of my dumb jokes…. tired of fighting the universe for 'laughing' at my face at every turn….. I'm even tired of flirting with every cute girl I meet just to not end up lonely….. but I'm really tired of being stuck in place while everyone else around me makes progress with their lives…. do I make sense here.…?, to hell with it all I'm even tired of trying to make sense of that…"

Raven at first stayed silent for a few moments before replying, "elaborate simply please", Beast boy unwilling to revisiting an embarrassing situation gulped as hard as he could before talking, "well….. last week I find this really beautiful, hot blonde at a local club dancing the night away…. I try and approach her…. surprisingly we hit it off like fireworks… we have a few drinks… a few good laughs….. and then she says to me, I'm gonna give you my address, nobody will be home….. Raven finished for him, "let me guess, you went over there and no one was home". Beast boy could only nod while trying to fight off tears, before mustering to continue. " any way I tried to find her for a while until I did….. I tried to confront her….. but she acted like for some reason I didn't even try to be serious about it…. she treated me like a total joke…"

Raven at this moment could not offer anything else in return, well firstly she needed to take in everything that happened at this very moment, that includes all of Beast boy's raw emotions threatening to wash all over her, after a few moments Raven did finally offer her shoulder for him to lean on and as he did so she'd let a few moments to pass before she hesitantly wrapped an arm across his shoulder, rubbing it for comfort. They stayed like that for another few minutes before she dared to ask.

"i don't get one thing though, why would you care what some dumb blonde would say or do to you anyway…. you're Beast boy….. and for better or worse, you laugh at the general direction of critics and detractors alike?…."

Beast boy now getting more and more relaxed with Raven around finally managed to get his act together long enough for one coherent answer. "when I survived that waterfall back in Africa, I made myself and my parents a promise….. a promise not only to survive but to keep moving on and live life to the fullest, you know be as normal as one can be….. I can't be content with only keeping half a promise…. no matter how hard I keep on trying, it always ends up like I'm failing them over and over again….. how can I take it for much longer…. can I even continue doing that anymore….?"

This time Beast boy's tears could not be contained any longer as he began to weep silently. Raven at this point and time knew she could take a chance and characteristically for her she took a risk kissing Beast boy on his forehead like a mother kissing her child while answering his question.

"the world id cruel, harsh and has no favorites….. everyone survives it's ugly nature differently…. I use logic….. you use dumb jokes…. so in a sense, only you can provide your answers to your questions….. others can only steer you to the right direction."

Beast boy listened intently while Raven kept reassuring him and keeping him calm, once he calmed enough he began wondering how Raven always knew what to do and what to say to him, with making sense to boot. He thought about it for a while but came up empty, frustrated with himself he decided to ask her without admitting his bruised ego, so he said jokingly.

"would it kill you to answer a question with a simple yes or no?"

Raven seemingly onto what Beast boy was trying to do has opted to answer his joke with another.

"yes."

Both teens have begun laughing from what's been said, Beast boy's being the loudest and most expressive of laughs threatening to topple him off the wing while Raven's not as pronounced was still audible yet restrained. After a few more moments of just enjoying each others company in silence Beast boy turned towards Raven and gave her an encompassing yet gentle hug out of nowhere.

"thanks for having my back". Raven a little startled by the sudden gesture of emotion could only reply with. "sure anytime….", another few moments of quiet and solitude passed by until Beast boy spoke up.

"speaking of backs…. I don't want to risk ruining another moment…. but mine's killing me…. can we please get off of this wing…." a pained expression now was plastered on the boy's face while Raven's only reply was.

"i thought you'd never ask…."

As they both got up from the wing Beast boy was the first to get off, once he got down he reached his arm to help Raven down, a bit flattered that Beast boy was behaving like a gentleman she took the opportunity to pamper herself and accept the small gesture, once both were down they began discussing on what to do next, Beast boy the master of subtlety tried to engage in the conversation however his stomach had other ideas in mind when it started rumbling, Raven feeling famished herself suggested to move the conversation over to the kitchen to which Beast boy had no objections whatsoever.

Titan's kitchen, a while later.

Cyborg was sitting in front of a small pile of sandwiches on the kitchen's table but the only thing that was processing right now weren't the sandwiches but a message Cyborg received from a woman he used to date as Victor Stone. One Marcy Reynolds.

'Vic…?, please for god's sake answer me… I'm in neck deep in shit… with a crazy fool calling himself Brother Blood….. plea…. but before she could finish the sentence a volley of bullets were caught loudly on the recording, with the woman's final draws of breath before the recording cuts off. To which surprisingly Vic Stone had no reaction other than complete anger and confusion.

'damn it Marcy… we may have left on a bad note….. but mark my words I'll make sure to get justice for you…. I promise.'

Within a few minutes Cyborg was already on his way to his quarters forgetting the plate of snacks he made for himself eager to start research on the creep named Brother Blood, passing upon Beast boy and Raven on the way not even saying a quick hi or teasing them about them heading to the kitchen at the same time so close to each other. Both teens thinking that was an odd behavior decided to let this one slide this time while entering the kitchen, both stop in their tracks when they see the plate of discarded sandwiches, immediately thinking the same thing.

'crap something must be wrong'.

Frank's apartment, a little while later.

Frank was practically bored out of his mind having nothing to do since his workload was dwindling and there was no sign that any sorts of offers are gonna pop up really soon, he checked his email accounts, the wanted section in the papers but yet again nothing, so he opted surfing through the TV channels until his phone beeped. Absentmindedly he reached for it to noticed he got a text from a blocked number, the message read as followed.

'Frank Crandel, I've got information about your employers I'm sure you'll find invaluable. Meet me in the alley way near the church of St. George on Peterson in an hour, don't be late and more importantly you don't have a choice… unless you'd wish me to tip off the Titans to your little scheme'

Frank got up from the sofa he was lounging on and went straight away to grab two things, one was a jacket and the other was a Smith and Weston small enough to conceal without drawing too much attention. After a few minutes Frank bolted through the front door into his car, the only thing bothering him at the moment was.

'for the love of god….. please don't let me get caught up in a fucking traffic jam'

About 45 minutes have passed since Frank left as he was arriving towards his destination he made sure his gun was well in reach as he got out of his car, fixating on the view ahead he failed to notice a well build and middle aged man coming up from behind him wearing a sporty outfit akin to a fashion style popular to at least a couple of decades earlier, the man himself had no distinguishing features beyond his build except for one inescapable detail. His right eye was replaced by a glass replica.

"Mister Crandel stop embarrassing yourself with pointless charades….. I was trained by the very best the U.S army had to offer…. so effectively to the point that if I wanted you to disappear… you would have by now."

Unimpressed by vague death threats Frank continued the discussion. "oh yeah?…. let me ask you old man….why should I listen to you?…. what's your angle?"

The old man went quiet for a few moments waiting to see what Frank would do, and he in return did the same. After enough time has passed the conversation commenced a new.

"my name is Slade Joseph Wilson…. I'm a retired soldier turned mercenary…. about a year ago a very powerful group of people connected to governments and private investors has reached out to me with a contract to eliminate the Teen Titans simply because they interfered with their business…. however I had to refuse their offer on principal…. they in turn 'recruited' my eldest son behind my back to take the same contract…. he failed, and as a result…. he's no longer with us"

Listening intently Frank drew the following conclusion. "now if I get it right, I work for the same group that screwed you over….. so either you're helping the Titans to stick it back to them….. or you're choosing the more direct approach, so in that case I'm the messenger/ possible warning sign, correct?"

Slade's only response was. "I'm greedy, not sadistic…. my point is…. you're bosses are not to be trusted…. you're getting in too deep and in the way…. and finally I'm going to finish what my son couldn't"

Frank at this point took a few moments to take in all the new information into context before speaking his mind, also finding an unusual sense of respect for this Slade character.

"listen since you don't seem like you're full of shit, let me now get straight to the point…. I'm not working for just any bosses, I'm working for the same people who trained me to be a damn good con artist and an even damn better blackmailer… plus I've already been activated, so there is no turning back for me."

Slade could only smile wryly, making Frank quirk an eyebrow in doubt as to what was so funny, Slade only responded bluntly. "your handler isn't speaking on behalf of the organization…. he's using you to gain favors and secure a better position in their hierarchy…. to him you're a disposable tool waiting to be replaced at the first dent… not that it particularly matters to me."

Frank now gave him a strange look asking silently 'why should you care?' at this point Slade left answering with his back turned. "unlike them I have some honor left in me".

On the way back from his little meeting Frank tried properly to process and take in all of the new intell he received while driving his Fiat. The more he thought about it over and over the more upset and angry he became, the more angry he became the harder he stepped on the gas paddle, now doing 60 mph within the city limits miraculously not causing or getting to any accidents. The only thing he could think about was.

'what the fuck did I get into?….. why did I take the job to begin with…. I knew there was no actual gain in it….. fuck, fuck, fuck…FUCK….'

Frank's apartment, a little while later.

An unknown man carrying a briefcase walked into the place of residence with what seems to be a spare key, he was wearing a dark maroon almost purple french rain coat with an identical colored hat, underneath he wore a traditional black business suit and shoes, in addition his face was obscured by a blank expressionless mask which in turn sported a black and yellow color scheme in an hexagon pattern giving the impression of a beehive. He made himself quite at home by going over to the fridge to fix himself a light snack which he then carried over to the living room, sitting down he began slowly removing his mask up until his jaw line so he could begin eating, finishing after a while. Later on he went over a few items in his brief case which among them was a Glock 9mm, however he reached for what seemed like the morning paper. Before reading it he made sure that the curtains were drown down in the living room before positioning himself on the sofa and sifting through the paper. Since then a few moments has passed and he was resting his eyes, at least trying to before Frank busted in with a rage grabbing him by the hem of his suit and violently throwing him against the glass door leading to the balcony.

"EXPLAIN YOURSELF…." he caught Frank shouting before being gripped by the neck and hoisted up as though if he was being hanged, but instead of panicking he tried to signal to Frank to let go so he could speak.

"why Frank…is it really how you treat old friends…. but before he could continue Frank caught him even tighter by the throat digging his fingers into it even deeper.

"quit stalling and talk already unless… well you're a smart guy…. you get the picture."

Frank this time let go on his own fruition, so his old friend could catch his breath which took a while since he was at this point and time coughing and wheezing desperately for air

After he caught his breathing the masked man stood up and straighten himself out making sure his mask hasn't moved from it's place, now facing Frank he began explaining himself.

"what you heard from the terminator is true, I'm using you to move up in the organization…. the fools at the top are progressing too slowly 'thinking' as a group while our enemies are gaining the upper hand…. while nosy superheroes are constantly screwing us even further…." Frank in the meantime seeing he's not being fed crap visibly relaxed while he kept the conversation going.

"what makes you think I'll play this little game of yours asshole?". the asshole in turn only chuckled, answering him the following. "we're the same Frank my boy, nobody respects the both of us… me with my low rank…. you with your disabilities…. nobody will respect us…. no matter how hard we try to hide our shortcomings.

Frank was now visibly unamused and visibly angry and rebellious so the man took it as a Que to add further, interrupting Frank's line of thoughts. "don't kid yourself you jumped up fucker…. we made you… you'd be nothing and a nobody, so in essence we own you and we'll see to use you as we see fit…"

Frank now feeling a little broken inside, gave the man a look that said ' I understand but I don't like it' moved passed him heading towards the apartment's exit answered the man's inevitable question. "I'm going out for some air…. I'll keep informing you when new developments arise…. just like we agreed"Frank now leaving the apartment was approaching the stairs towards street level. After checking his fucker of a 'roommate' wasn't around he started muttering to himself.

'no choice you say eh fucker?….. I'll give you no choice….. but how to get rid of you, you condescending bastard?. Frank was now thinking really hard on the issue before landing on an manipulative choice, sighing he continued to mutter.

'well Frank….. you got no choice but to use Starfire…. I just hope she wouldn't resort to killing me or hating me if she wounds up seeing thru my tricks…. hating me?, wait a minute…. do I really… oh fuck, you stupid idiot…. you just had to make it personal you dumb prick….'

Frank was now roaming the streets, passing a few kids hanging out while a boombox was playing loudly You Belong To The City by Glenn Frey.

'let me share something…. everyone thinks I'm a tech head, obsessed with the top of the line gadgets…. the latest computer hardware and software… and the latest in robotics…. true I like all that but I'm the guy who would love nothing more than to play football and enjoy a cold beer…. so why don't I quit you ask?…. well everyone knows me as Cyborg, the robot sporting a human head…. almost nobody except a few knows me as Victor Stone…. a crippled teen who can survive a few days tops without relying on his mechanical body'.

Much later the same day, after Cyborg or rather Victor got his bearings together he gathered everyone in the tower to explain what's been happening with him from the beginning, and after replaying Marcy final message yet again it was decided between the Titans that whoever this Brother Blood was he must be stopped. First thing though was to contact the Reynolds household to let them know he was attending so after much needed support from his friends he spent a good 15 minutes locating the Reynolds phone number, having found it he dialed the number, waiting for someone to pick up.

Vic was patiently waiting on the line, no one was answering so far, the dial tone kept repeating for a few times.

'aw man what the hell are you thinking….. they won't answer your stupid ass if they could win the lottery doing so.' Cyborg was ready to hang up and try a different method before someone finally picked up and from the sound of the tone it was Marcy's old man.

"hey…. who's the fool who keeps ringing at a time like this?…." Cyborg shot back. "the fool who used to date your daughter….. by the way it's really nice to hear you too sir…." Marcy's dad was now replying sarcastically and rudely.

"well, well, well…. if it isn't mister famous superhero himself calling…. now what the heck do you want boy?…. come on spit it out already." Vic was starting to feel a little hesitant before giving the older man an answer.

"well if it's no problem with you….. I would like to attend the funeral sir….. Marcy and I didn't end things well….. still I cared for her a lot…. so may I? the old man sighed deeply on the other line before telling Vic.

"the funeral is tomorrow noon…. so don't be late you hear boy?…" before Cyborg could reply the line got disconnected. Leaving Cyborg confused but not surprised in the least.

The day of the funeral arrived and as far as funerals went?, it was just that it wasn't a melodramatic tear jerking moment, although the sadness and mourn of a lost one was still felt through the air, yet it wasn't festive as Mardi Gras or at the very least a New Orleans funeral marches. For that Victor Stone had to be on some levels grateful because that meant he was able to reconnect with old and familiar faces while still consoling the grieving family and get a much better picture on what Marcy has gotten herself into. As the day went by he even was able to mend some of the damaged relationship with old man Reynolds himself, promising him what he promised to himself quietly, as the day came to an end.

Cyborg came back to the tower that early evening an immediately went back to his quarters with a clear goal to research as much as possible. And so he spent a good amount of almost 5 days in a row of little amount of sleep, plus shutting himself almost completely save for lunch and dinner breaks all he could compile was an extensive background check which still felt vague somehow so he went over it in his head just to make sure he didn't forget something.

' okay, dude's full name is Sebastian Blood viii…. check…. his family history always has the patriarch killed by his own son….. check….. originally from the nation Zandia…. check… some claim him to be a recluse cult leader while some saying he's exhibiting vampire like behavior…. check and double check….. and lastly the cult he's running extends internationally….. check…. so what the hell am I missing?'

Cyborg began berating himself for a couple of minutes before he heard a knock at the door. Opening the door with a push of a button he came face to face with Beast boy, which in turn had an expression like he had something to say, Cyborg gave him the all clear to speak up his mind.

"long time no see Vic…. anyway Starfire wants to know what's new with your investigation into that creep Brother Blood…. plus she was wondering how many of us on stand by….. she made some plans with a guy named Frank in two day's time….

Cyborg has now aloud himself to smile/smirk a little before asking. "you mean like a date?". Beast boy only shrugged his shoulders indicating he had no idea itself before Cyborg answered. "no…. nothing besides background you can find on Wiki or news outlets…. besides I don't want the team walking in over their heads without a solid plan…. so no in the meantime she's all clear for her date…. now come on greengo let's go out and get some fresh air…. I could use a break anyway." he heard no complaints from Beast boy on that.

Since Cyborg's little break he went back into his investigation full force, plus he expanded his research into taking it to the streets, who knows?, it might give him more results listening to the gossip and rumors the 'hood' had to offer, walking sure beats stepping in place, speaking of which.

The day of the friendly hang out, near Jump city's beach with Starfire.

Starfire was both anxious, impatient and excited about the prospect of seeing someone outside of 'work', and it doesn't matter if a romantic interest was involved or a friend in a platonic sense. So she spent her time waiting going back and forth between pacing in a nervous manner and jogging in place. A few moments like that passed while drawing the attention of Jump's residence, some were unwelcome, most of them she found humorous. Starfire decided to stop when she spotted Frank's crappy looking Fiat as it pulled along or rather dragged along into a delayed stop. Frank on his part tried struggling with the passenger door before it opened, out of breath he said abruptly.

"quick get in….. I'm not sure I could force the car to stay in parking gear for much longer….". earning a giggle from Starfire or at this point Kory before she replied sweetly.

"maybe she will listen if you tried to be polite." frank unable to resist the sweet infectious tone of Kory, tried his version of polite in return. "well you heard the lady, would you please stay in place long enough, you Italian piece of crap?". without warning the car finally stopped, which felt suspicious to him, but he decided to let it go until Kory sat down next to him, she wasted no time.

"so what have you got planned for us friend?". Frank never liked planning that far ahead, it felt pointless and tedious to him. Still he had the basic gist pegged down, so he replied the following to Kory.

"well…. I was thinking of taking you to the movies….. after that maybe invite you to a nice meal… and next maybe a tour of the city on foot… sounds good?" Kory only hummed in approval which without a shred of sarcasm or cynicism gave Frank a nice confidence boost, so he tried starting and revving his car, key word is trying. He tried once…. the car didn't start, he tried again…. the car refused to start over, the third time….. was no charm, prompting him to think.

'Murphy's Law, what comes up must go down'.

A few moments has passed since the car decided graciously to break down in the presence of Kory and Frank, Frank trying to save what's left of his sense of pride and good graces to his lady friend, has decided to get out and pop the hood to try and fix his car problems, there was one problem with that notion.

'geez what an idiot I am….. I know the mechanical and technical insides and outs of studio lighting…. including film making in general, but I can't make heads or tails when it comes to auto-repairs….. think you damn fool…. there must be something you can do….'

Sighing while running his right hand through his face and hair in quiet frustration he decided to return to Kory, sitting down next to her he took a fraction of a second to compose himself before addressing Kory.

"say…. since we're here already…. do you mind if we start with a walk first?"

Kory not giving any indication that she minded just gave a small shrug with a pleasant smile, the both of them silently just got out of the car and headed towards the beach, once there they saw there were few to no people so the atmosphere was relaxing and quiet in a nice manner, so both of them took advantage of the situation and just walked silently for about solid 30 minutes before Kory broke the silence to make casual conversation.

"i am glad I took your offer this is a most wonderful venue you picked…. so much beauty and serenity…. don't you agree?", Frank although not tense or jumpy in any shape whatsoever still seemed out of it.

"no offense….. but the feeling is a bit too salty for me." Kory now that Frank mentioned it got into a humorous mood before replying. "oh my I hope it's not because of the transportation Frank…. I cannot stand the company of someone who's willing to ruin a mood…. as they say.", she added that last part giggling. Frank could only smile in return.

"oh no, nothing like that…. I meant it literally, there's too much salt in the air to my liking…. to be honest, I've got bad memories regarding to the beach and sea". now Kory was curious so she tried to pry more info using her innocent look which prompted Frank to explain.

"long story short I used to suffer from hydrophobia….. as in an irrational fear of the water…. so whenever I wound up at the beach, I started to get super stressed…. now not so much…. but still you can't shake off bad memories…. you know what I mean?" Kory knew all too well what Frank meant by posing the last question/statement but out of sheer will not to revisit her own bad memories she opted to respond with the following statement instead.

"i know too well….. unfortunately, but I won't go deeper into it….. it's like how do you say it?….. airing dirty laundry….. Frank now feeling guilty he almost hit a raw nerve he opted to apologize and continue on to a different topic.

A small cafe near the beach, an hour and a half later.

Kory and Frank were now resting in a near cafe, ordering soft drinks while they kept conversing while the day slowly went by while both learning more about each other like Frank enjoying fast paced music, drawing and classic movies while he learned that Kory loves the outdoors, exercises of all manners and quite surprisingly loves dirty jokes if they're told with taste.

As of now the both of them were now enjoying yet another quiet moment when all Frank could feel a growing sense of guilt, a guilt that a beautiful woman was confiding in him with some of her most intimate thoughts and only he could think about is how he had seemingly no choice but to betray her in the end. He was about to open his mouth to ask Kory if he could confide in her with something he's been keeping quiet about but at the moment a Cessna 182 Skylane was passing over head making it hard for Frank to think or even speak. However from her point of view Kory or rather now Starfire has noticed something isn't right, the small lightweight plane was losing control while smoke engulfed the cockpit area, thinking fast she told Frank.

"frank be a dear and evacuate yourself and the people around you to safety…. I think a fatal accident is about to occur." Frank wasting no time asked, "what about you?…. I'm not that much of a jerk to just abandon you…." Starfire now felt touched by his concern just said.

"don't worry about me…. I'll contact the local authorities about this." Frank now understanding that there was nothing to fear, left her while convincing the other patrons in the cafe to hit the deck or just run and evacuate. Starfire took the opportunity to slip away quietly and took off after the plain, in one felt swoop she caught on to the plane, ripping the hinges clear off letting the smoke out while gently but sturdily grabbed the pilot before incinerating the plane so it would explode mid air rather than risk it hitting the sea, the landmarks or most importantly innocent civilians or bystanders.

When Starfire and the rescued pilot had touched ground the paramedics were already waiting, Standing by to receive their patient and check his vitals, once in the clear, Starfire now in her civilian mindset was searching the beach to see where Frank is. As soon as she located him she ran towards him like a mother would to either a terrified or lost child, trying to calmly ask him.

"are you alright?….. please tell me you're not hurt in any way or form…." Frank seeing how much she really cared about him, friend or otherwise, could only respond in the same manner Kory did, or at least attempted.

"I'm perfectly alright sweetheart….. and it's all thanks to you…. Starfire." taken a back by the last part Kory/Starfire or rather Starfire/Kory tried to get over the surprise and ask how he knew but Frank saved her the trouble replying quite sheepishly.

"listen I don't know how to say it….. without risk sounding like a douche….. but I knew cause you don't really hide that face of yours while doing super heroics". Kory began to laugh a little before asking him one important question.

"you don't mind being friends with a superhero?…. or even nervous about it?. Frank was about to answer that question when he saw who he assumed was the pilot coming over in their direction with an expression that said anything but amused or grateful. Frank on the other hand made one mental note.

'Aviator's sunglasses, pastel colored La-cost shirt, well pressed designer beige pants… great another wannabe midlife prick'

His assessment was correct when the man tried to get in Kory's face trying his luck by overreacting and creating a scene for no good reason while addressing him too.

" I don't care if you mind or don't mind shit…. what either the two of you should mind is…. who is going to refund the damages this bitch…. now point towards Starfire…. has done to my beautiful Cessna…. now pointing his anger on Frank, while shoving a finger at his chest and catching spit…. do you have any idea how much that plane costs to replace?" Kory was trying to ignore the ignorant ingrate reminding herself that it wouldn't do any good harming a man unequal to her strength, Frank however surprised the both of them by grabbing the man from the collars of his shirt.

" listen pal…. I don't care who do you think you are…. or what you're entitled to….you owe the woman a thank you and an apology…. got it?"

Mid downtown Jump, early dusk.

Starfire after a rather fun and exhausting outing was currently flying carrying Frank towards his house when Frank struck a conversation to distract himself from thinking how high he really was.

"sorry….. Starfire gave him a curious look before prompting to continue…. you know for making you carrying me… and more importantly, making you see an uglier part of myself." Starfire simply smiled at him kindly.

"apology accepted….. my dearest Frank…. or should I call you sweetheart….?, Starfire said giggling with amusement present in her voice, which prompted frank to say. "yes, well sorry about that too….. it's too intimate at this point in this relationship we got going." Starfire was quiet at this point waiting to see if he had more to say….

"in my defense though…. it was the only compliment that came to mind that felt inoffensive…." Frank saying that while scratching his neck awkwardly.

"think nothing of it dear friend….. on my home world, even the nicest and most polite of men don't delay themselves on pleasantries and courtesies….. in fact if Tamaran was not as war torn as it is I would guess the men would have turned polite as you are…. sadly though I had no opportunity to see such an outcome…."

Frank lamented on Starfire's words as he was taking in the sites while searching for his apartment building, it took about a few minutes before locating it prompting him to signal Kory to land and let him down, once on the ground the both of them found themselves staring at each other for a while in complete silence, Kory now looking at Frank saw a variety of expressions crossing his face, excitement , happiness, content, but as she looked even further she began to see guilt, sadness and remorse coming across as well, prompting her to ask.

"what is the matter frank?…" relieved she asked that question, he simply asked her. "as friends, what do you think is my best trait about me?" Kory took the time before answering. "you do not hide nor lie about who or what you are." hearing that he steeled himself before continuing the conversation.

" I see….. well allow me to be honest…. there are some things I kept you in the dark about…. would you mind stepping inside my apartment to discuss it further?…. Kory, not being foolish gave him a scrutinizing look prompting him to say.

"No games or tricks…. it's just there's a lot to unpack on my part… and it will be easier to talk about it in private."

Early evening, inside Frank's apartment

As soon as Kory and Frank got inside, Frank wasted no time and instructing her to make herself at home and take a sit in the living room, making himself a good host before dealing the harsh truth to her face, he opted to the kitchen to prepare some soft drinks for the both of them and once he got back to the living room with the servings in hand he began explaining everything to Kory, skipping no detail in the process.

To his surprise and astonishment Kory never once interrupted him, no unneeded melodrama was thrown into the mix and no argument occurred even when the most disgusting details were exposed out in the open. To anyone else from the outside this could be considered refreshing but once Frank reached the end of the explanation he found the silence between him and Kory gnawing and slowly killing him inside, that is until the all too familiar sequence of questions came about.

"if you could've chosen differently the first time….. would you?…." and "why do you risk exposing yourself like that….?"

Relieved by the reprieve from the silence Frank couldn't answer to both questions lightly so he gave a sign to Kory that he would take some time to think it over. Several moments has passed and he finally gave an answer that he could live with at least.

" I don't know…. honestly….. I was a poor immigrant when I came to the states, with no guarantees or credit to his name….. besides they gave me no choice but to join them….. to further complicate…. is the fact that I see no downside to swindling the undeserving swines from their riches….. bottom line…. if I had my way…. I would've refused crossing the Titans…. and find another job to do…."

Kory/Starfire began smiling a little, albeit a sad smile before asking, "another extortion job you mean?" almost sounding a little accusatory, which prompted Frank to respond immediately.

"I'd be lying if I would say it wasn't fun for a while….. but I don't take joy in the thought that other people will remember me just for that…. that's why I told you all that…. please Kory…. Starfire…. can you help me find a way out of this trap?" Frank was met with silence for a few moments before being tackled by a warm and welcoming hug. After a few moments had passed she promised him… no, pledged to him that she will save him however she can.

A few days have passed since Kory last saw Frank, she returned to the Teen Titans with all that she learned and shared it with them too , to the best of her understanding, needless to say the reaction she received from her friends were varied from mild shock to absolute outrage. However instead of making a big deal and full out hysteria about it, the Teen Titans were caught in an argument how about to 'save' Frank. It ranged from making him wear a wire so the Teen Titans could spy on their enemies for once, in the promise that Frank could disappear once his part was done to a more logical solution as to turn him over to the police and sending him to jail for the crimes he committed regardless of circumstance. Obviously neither of the two options didn't sit well with Kory, so she opted to frequent her favorite spot at Titan's Tower more often, only now she was hoping it will calm her agitated mind.

Titan's pool, early morning

Starfire/Kory was trying to swim a few laps in her usual attire I.e none. She was currently taking a breather from all of her attempted exercise, she thought and took her time to figure out what was wrong and ultimately concluded that she needed a good massage/ rubdown. She began by massaging her face going down to her biceps, wondering off to her breasts, stomach and thighs….. reaching so far as to her clitoris and vagina but before she could continue, she was interrupted by another presence…. Ravens, in turn all she could say is.

"i know what you're trying to do… there's probably a few better ways to calm your mind other than risking public exposure…..". Starfire could only chuckle apologetically before adding. "I have no doubt that you are right….. I just needed desperately a few moments to myself….. I feel as you say conflicted about a few issues. Raven yet again spoke to her.

"frank never really asked for physical freedom….. from what you told us it's clear he's aware of that himself…. he probably asked you to free him from the guilt he stockpiled….." Kory for the first time since a few days could feel herself truly relaxing and with that said made a few gestures to Raven tojoin her in the pool, to which Raven politely declined.

"thank you….. but I'm much too shy and self aware to go swimming like you in broad daylight…." Raven gave her a small smile saying ' nighttime on the other hand…', which made Kory smile a wry smirk while laughing contently.

Contrary, on the other side of town Frank Crandel couldn't be any more serious, in fact by his account he was a man on a mission. That mission would be to expose the asshole of a former roommate. He got up, got ready real quick and he took off on foot towards an electronics store he's frequenting before and after a job, on the hunt for a few novelty items.

Inside the electronic shop with frank.

Frank came into the shop like a kid who hasn't been home in a while, half afraid that nobody would recognize him and half curious as to what exactly changed since the last time he came, Frank was planning to look around and window shop if he could until the manager of the store came to the counter, greeting him in the process.

"the prodigal son returns… how you've been Frankie boy….. you never write and you never call…."

Frank could only look apologetic and ashamed at the man, while the man himself surprisingly started to laugh hysterically before addressing Frank again. "ha ha ha ha…. Frank, I'm just busting your balls a bit….. good god it's so good to see you….. now I know you're a big shot, so what can I do you for?".

Frank giving the man a miffed and sarcastic look complementary with a smile to boot got really quiet and straight to the point. "look, jokes aside…. I got someone after me, who screwed me over for a long time….. so I'd like to screw him back…. if you catch my drift." the man could see now that Frank wasn't bullshitting, in fact that's the basis to their relationship, so it pained him to say it.

"sorry Frankie….. I know what you need but it's not in stock today….. Frank looked a little disappointed, so the manager continued. " however…. what I can do is take a look at your cellphone… and give it a quick boost to it's resolution and sound levels enough so you could record the bastard…. and the dumb fuck will never know it…." the old man started laughing again this time joined by Frank, although his laugh was a small contained one. He quickly gave his phone to the man but still he had to ask.

"since when are you so good with cellphones?….." the older man gave him a sign that he will answer the question privately so Frank leaned in for the answer.

"it's not me…. you can't trust me with a potato gun….. I pay some kid…. let's just say off the books…" Frank in return gave him a look that said 'your secret's safe with me'.

Frank left the shop not very pleased with himself but content non the less walked on towards the apartment, to set out the rest of his plan into motion.

A little while later, Frank's apartment.

The apartment was a mess, bits of china and glass were covering the floor from the kitchen to the living room, bits of plaster and concrete were covering the furniture, the appliances are at this point not only dented but beyond repair, and the furniture themselves were torn by a kitchen knife. The only thing out of place as witnessed by Frank was his roommate/handler acting like a British fop seeping tea in the middle of the living room, oblivious to the damage that was caused. Frank in turn had nothing to say or the power to react, so he simply said.

"you do know that there are workshops for anger management." not bothering if his house mate will react under that mask of his. All he cared about at the moment was changing his clothes and hiding two items. His cellphone and trusted Smith and Weston out of sight, the cellphone was left open on the voice recorder app while resting in Frank's pocket.

When he returned to the living room he found the other tenant unmoving but he was far than calm when Frank came back. "are you fucking kidding me?…. I send you to do one simple mission, and you can't even do that right….. and now you fucking moron are threatening me with quitting…. so you tell me, why should I be calm?"

Frank genuinely couldn't help himself and started smiling like the cat that ate the canary before producing first his gun and without losing his grip, the cellphone next which made the 'faceless' bastard freeze in place.

"now, I know that you're not that stupid so follow me, okay sunshine?… right now I'm recording you right now, so off with the mask…. or I pop you off… you're choice."

The man in question slowly removed his mask, revealing his face, to which Frank responded with.

"good boy….. now here's what's going to happen….. you let me leave out of here alive….. and I won't send this video, either to your bosses…. or the Titans, which for you means you'll get to breathe for another few moments…" Frank made his way towards the exit slowly turning his back to his former boss and life proclaiming "Goodbye…. and good riddance. The man in question absolutely furious produced a Glock 22. with a silencer from his jacket pocket effectively shooting three rounds in Frank's back. "good bye and good riddance."

'i would've loved to think that I was a man of my word…. trouble is my word usually didn't mean two shits in the long run…. but I'll be damned if I didn't repay the favor for my…. long time 'friend'. that's what went through Frank's mind when those three bullets pierced him through the back, other than that the only thing he registered as he was dying is that his cellphone was clutched in his right hand while his gun slipped from his grip. To make matters worst as he was lying on the floor he noticed from the corner of his ear and eyes that the fuck who shot him didn't have the decency to make sure he was dead, Big mistake.

Making no less than an herculean effort or rather unfortunately a Sisyphean effort Frank tried to send a message to Kory/Starfire trying to remain conscious long enough.

'hey sweetheart…. if you see this message….. when you'll see this message, that means I'll be long gone by then… so let me say just this for you and you alone…. I have a lot to apologize for… I was an impatient jackass, who ultimately thought of himself before others….. but the thing I'll really be sorry about is not getting the chance to know you better….. now here's your chance to do some good like I promised I would give to you…'

When he finished writing the message he was already soaking slowly in his own blood, but that didn't stop him from attaching the message with the video he recorded earlier, pressing send he ultimately lost consciousness for the last and final time.

With Starfire and the Teen Titans, midtown Jump city

Starfire and her teammates were wrapping up a local rush of bank heists and burglaries at the local mall when Starfire received the message, seeing it was from Frank she was mildly curious as in what he sent her, only when she read the message her curiosity turned to inward dread once she was thru with the contents, her friends witnessing the expression on her face didn't need to utter a single word before following her lead, leaving her to prey a silent prayer.'

'please X'hal….. if there is any mercy in this universe….. please let us find Frank Crandel alive and well….'

With that bit of hope Starfire tore through the sky as hard and fast as her body in it's current shape allowed it.

Frank's apartment building, later that day.

When Starfire reached the outside of Frank's apartment building she felt a little winded from the strain she put herself into from fighting criminals and doing her own version of alien sprinting, however she still tried to soldier on , in that moment the Titans that were with her, Raven, Beast boy and Wonder Girl had managed to keep up with her and for some odd reason were now confronting her and trying to block her path, she was about to protest the display in front of her, asking for the meaning of it all but Beast boy beat her to it.

"sorry Star….. we just want to know what's got you so spooked….. by the way I need a nap…. so if anyone needs me….." but before he could finish his funny statement he collapsed from exhaustion, probably from trying to keep up with the Titan's current leader so she let her teammate rest while addressing the other remaining members.

"you two are thinking it's a trap don't you?… " Wonder Girl gave a silent nod while Raven elaborated, "we don't think Frank set this trap on purpose….. at the very least we think he's being coerced into luring you…. luring us into one….." without the need to continue Starfire gave an understanding nod and permission to go ahead of her and scan the premises for any sort of traps,giving them reassurance that in the meantime she'll make sure Beast boy is all well and good.

Inside the building's elevator with Raven and Wonder Girl.

First thing first as both female Titan's did when entering the building was to locate the nearest elevator, the two of them got in rather quickly and pressed towards the designated floor, in this case the 10th , the entire ride on the way up was qiet and oddly relaxing since the elevator was of an older model, the kind that would cause most people a mild case of claustrophobia. Once the elevator had stopped both girls were ready for a fight, but the floor was mostly empty and dark, now both girls were tense for a different reason, it wasn't the adrenaline of an impeding fight but it was an intense feeling of something that is definitely wrong so both of them made it to the light source which came from a nearly closed door.

With a small sense of trepidation Raven and Wonder Girl both opened the door, only to be treated by the fresh corpse of the man once known as Frank Crandel. Wonder Girl after seeing the display felt a little nausea while Raven on the other hand remained completely stoic to the sight before her, but both girls thought the same.

'great….. how Starfire's gonna take this development….?'

As if in a stroke of bad luck and timing Starfire rose up to the 10th floor only to land a few feet away from the other two while Beast boy transformed into a common house cat, okay it wasn't a completely common house cat cause of the green coloration on his fur but the big picture was already established, only to now coming into a complete halt transforming back into his 'default' setting, he wondered why Starfire abruptly stopped but before he could ask she began moving again slowly with a haze in her eyes, that kind that says 'the lights are on but nobody's home'. in actually he didn't need to ask cause once he got close enough to take a good whiff of the fresh stench in the air was enough to stop him in his tracks and involuntarily making him experience a gag reflex.

Starfire on the other hand kept on walking until she reached Raven and Wonder Girl staring intently on the corpse in front of her without making a peep or even flinching, this emotionless state lasted for a few more moments before Starfire posed Raven a question. "Raven… you posses the ability to bring the wounded back to health, correct?….. I would like to know if you could bring the dead to life…. provided the deceased recently passed…..?"

Raven hesitated on how to answer the question in a small fear that her friend and leader would unleash her wrath provided that she would slip a word out of place, then again Raven made sure to give her best answer.

"i won't lie…. I'm afraid to try and do it…. the source of most of my powers come from a place of pure evil….. raising the dead in that case is only used to cause misery and suffering on to others… even if it wasn't the case, my power compared to it's source is like a 1/10th of it since I share a human heritage….. on the chance that I do take a chance and succeed this miracle, well….. most likely it would never be the man you knew…. or the rest of us should have known…. and I could never be cruel enough to do that to you Star…. I'm sorry, please understand"

Starfire/Kory at this point laid her head on Raven's shoulder, gently hugging her while letting a small stream of tears flood from her face, while Wonder Girl in condolences and solidarity for her predicament. A few quiet moments have passed before Beast boy got his bearings back together before interrupting the moment with a well placed cough.

"sorry to interrupt this touching moment but….. what do we do with the dead guy on display…. no offence….. and second…. how do we track the guy who did this to him…." now pointing at Frank's body.

Beast boy's words rang true and hard so the whole team took a minute to think it through before Raven interrupted the silence with the best course of action.

"we place a 911 call to the ER team to pick the body up and give him a proper burial and sendoff…. and in case the police gets involved…. we don't lie…. we'll answer vaguely that Mr. Crandel is or rather was a solid lead in an ongoing Titan's investigation into a major crime syndicate….". Beast boy was about to open his mouth before he was cut off.

"if the cops try and snoop even further on this…. we'll simply say that we will keep them in the loop as the leads keep coming in….. any other questions…?". Raven now waited for her friends to ask them away but was impressed when she was met with silence of understanding so she averted her gaze towards Starfire to continue onwards.

"okay…. now that we established that, that's how we shall proceed…. Beast boy and Wonder Girl will escort Frank's…. remains to the hospital while myself and Cyborg will locate whoever ended Frank's life…. Starfire took a small pause while she directed her gaze at Raven…. lastly Raven shall be tasked to find and interrogate the murderer for any further clues." Raven tried to raise an important question but was interrupted herself. " I know what you are going to ask….. on any other circumstances I would probably go rouge and unleash my righteous fury on that monstrous bastard but….. killing him would have made Frank's efforts be all in vain…. besides whoever murdered him doesn't deserve an easy escape from the consequences of his own actions…."

If Raven wore a hat on a daily basis she would've tipped it towards Starfire or rather Kory for not acting purely on her emotion, so instead she gave a nod and a look full of understanding and wisdom while Wonder Girl patted her on the back which left Beast boy to take the initiative and call 911 when Raven stopped him causing an eyebrow quirk from the boy. She quickly explained.

"there is really no need I already called 911 just as the same time when Starfire was assigning our tasks…. besides no offense to the dead….. but I can't stand the stench either."

Beast boy only gave a quick small nod while Starfire and Raven left to begin their new mission, while him and Wonder Girl remained behind with Frank for a few moments, before Beast boy left for a while explaining that he needed fresh air and that the guest of honour won't go anywhere anytime soon.

Speaking of time, time itself flew by quite quickly. Seconds became into minutes, minutes became into hours and so forth, to add insult to injury Starfire had attended Frank's funeral before making any significant progress finding his killer, even with the help of the Jump City police department the only new leads the Titans discovered was the man's true identity, one Willis Darrow, a well known criminal and scientist.

Meanwhile in an abandoned housing project in Jump City, close to the city limits

A 1980 Cadillac Sedan de Ville can be seen driving towards one of the abandoned buildings. Once the car stopped three distinguished looking gentlemen came out of the car, one was Willis Darrow wearing the mask the day he killed Frank plus his usual attire, while the two other unknown fellas that went with him wore similar masks only different suits, one a dark shade of gray, charcoal to be specific and the other was a light gray almost pastel in texture.

Willis not feeling too safe for some reason began prodding for answers, since the guys that came along with him said he didn't have much of a choice since he got a summon by the organization also known to him as H.I.V.E.

"hey pal, not to seem rude but.… why are we here again.…?"

The one with the pastel suit provided the explanation as followed. "well Mr. Darrow, today is your lucky day... the bosses want to promote you as a reward for your loyalty…. and your efforts.…"

Willis felt quite proud and appreciated, but something kept nagging at the back of his head until it finally hit him, causing him to turn around and ask.

"wait a minute.… did you say.…?" but before he could say anything else the two guys produced Glocks 22's similar to what he used on Frank. With no time to spare the guys shot both Willis's knee caps, shot three rounds to his chest and finally one shot at his forehead while saying.

"yes Mr. Darrow.… your efforts.… not ours.…" both men at this point wiped away what little evidence could be found on their guns before tossing those near the fresh body and driving off away from the 'execution ground'

Titan's tower living room, mid afternoon.

News traveled fast regarding the demise of Mr. Darrow, the police and news outlets has deemed it as a gangland shooting but Starfire knew better by instinct, she led the titans on patrol in the days to follow, each time hoping to find a new clue on the mysterious organization known as H.I.V.E only to return empty handed or in an impasse which took the toll on the Titan's leader, leading her eventually to act as Robin would use to, shutting herself off and disappearing for a while on ends, only to reappear when there was signs of trouble. Donna noticed it straight away and tried to ignore this behavior at first, but as time went by so does her worries began to grow little by little until she could no longer ignore it and she set out to find her friend and confront her but easier said than done.

'think Donna think.… where Kory could be hiding?… well you could rule out work….. or patrolling….. a lot of good that did….. maybe she's trying to recharge herself so that means…'

without a second to lose Donna quickly headed to the beach, once there she went about for a few good minutes before finding her friend alone on the shore soaking and marveling at the sun as it began setting for the day. Donna thought about striking a conversation while she walked towards Kory but decided against it, instead she approached her friend, standing besides her. Kory hasn't made a single unnecessary move from her spot but acknowledged her friend in silence. This silence continued for quite a while and in that quiet Donna noticed that Kory was listening to music via earphones and the latest MP player so naturally she asked her.

"what are you listening to?"without a single word Kory removed one of her earphones and offered it to Donna, she in turn accepted it and plugged it into her ear, the song currently playing was Dionne Warwick - Heart breaker, listening to the lyrics intently she couldn't help but think.

'it makes perfect sense.'

Donna immediately but gently turned Kory to face her, once they faced each other Donna saw the guilt and sorrow on her friends face, without any hesitation she offered her a hug that said. 'feel free to let your sorrows out, I'm here for you' to which Kory/Starfire gave a small nod while embracing her friend and laying her neck on her shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 04: trials by Blood.

'many believe that to be a great leader or communicator you need to know the gift of making people listen to you… however this is only a small part of it, in actuality you need great presence, one that people will pay attention to and forget that there are others in the world but yourself….. that is what my family practiced and refined for well over 800 years.'

The church of Blood, near Buzzsaw masschusetts, early noon

Sebastian Blood, to his followers Brother Blood, is the very personification of charming, imposing and menacing. With a height that reaches nearly to 6.0 feet tall, a voice and tone that can reach from a booming roar to a chilling quiet whisper, a well toned build and a soul piercing gaze, most of his devout believers remind themselves to steer clear from invoking his wrath. However in this point and time there was one believer who forgot said unwritten rule, a young blonde woman who has been a full fledged member for nearly 3 years, a woman who was to be 'escorted' thru the room any moment now.

Like clockworks two of his highest members of his church, or acolytes if you will, passed into his holiness chamber dragging a resistant and scared blonde woman, she was about to vocally protest but was halted when Brother Blood has risen from his throne and marched closer to her, he signaled with a subtle movement of his eyes and body language for his acolytes to leave the room before he personally addressing his 'guest' .

"i apologize my child for the rude behavior of my most loyal of subjects… which in turn brings your here my pet…"the girl clearly confused just asked.

"i don't understand, why am I here my master?"at this naive question most people would find it a respectful response, unfortunately for her, Brother Blood but also of willful ignorance. So with a sudden shift in tone but not pitch he elaborated.

"let us see child… you vouched for our late sister Marcy, only for her to betray us in the most severe of manners… moreover you failed to mention that she was closely involved with a man who in the right circumstance can become quiet the adversary against our goals… do you wish to keep and deny it my sweet?"

The woman in question now simply responded with. "I knew about it before hand but it was ancient history… so it bared no relevancy to mention."

Brother Blood took his time before he responded to the blonde, scrutinizing her with a deep penetrating stare almost to a hypnotic degree, that process took a few moments and minutes, which made the woman quite uncomfortable in her own skin, before he opened his mouth to address her yet again.

"it bared no relevancy you say…?, remind me again dear, who are you and what authority do you have to make such decisions on your own accord…?"

The woman clearly feeling the panic starts to lodge in her throat, she tried to argue back but could only produce pleas for mercy from the divine one which at first it seems like they were falling on deaf ears, due to the poor lighting in the room and lack of natural day light, the blonde woman failed to asses the small ticks on Brother Blood's face which indicated that he was patient enough with her as it is, however he never let his temper get out of control, instead he raised his arm motioning her to stop before he continued with his icy speech.

"enough my dear… over the years I had the misfortune of dealing with the foolishness of my perish on numerous occasions… you on the other hand are charged with deliberately withholding information to your one and true lord, an act of betrayal, as small as it may be, is still grounds for excommunication…"

If the blood of the poor woman didn't drain from her face by now, it sure began now, with all her might she tried to speak up but nothing came other than a weak whisper which in turn Brother Blood ignored while returning to his throne, once there he reached behind the back rest to pull a saber strong as a broad sword yet thin and sharp as a saber. On first glance the sword was nothing special in design, however the tip was custom made in design to look like the edge of a cobra's tongue. Brother Blood returned with the sword and laid it with utmost care in front of the woman.

"you should be considered blessed I feel benevolent today… if you wish to prove your devotion for me, I must ask you one thing… point the sword towards your throat and slowly fall on it's blade for me…"

The woman for some reason could not find the strength to either disobey or offer any resistance, instead she did as instructed and in an instant jabbed the sword in her throat and with every inch the sword penetrated her flesh, so does the blood splatter increased and her breath escaped just as quickly.

By the time the blood of the newly made corpse has already long stopped erupting like a volcano and started pooling on the floor Brother Blood has already taken his seat back on his throne, thinking and pondering what to do now with the remains.

'what shall I do with you, my dear former disciple.…. I cannot display you in front of the others as an example, fearing such shock and fright would cause them to rebel out of survivor's instinct… using your blood to strengthen me will simply not do due to you proving you are tainted and corrupt, unless…..'but at this point two figures entered his hall so he had to postpone his thoughts.

The two figures were an older woman , late 40's maybe early 50's, surprisingly with a shape and figure of a woman much younger than that dressed as a nun with the only difference being that the white on the outfit was replaced by the color of crimson red, while the one next to her was a much younger gent , late 30's, he was dressed with a pastel green suit over a simple white shirt complimented by patterned pants resembling a kilt and lastly his built had both fat and muscle on equal standing.

"this better be good my dear Mother Mayhem."Brother Blood spoke without leaving a trace of a tone or any sort on infliction, the woman now identified as Mother Mayhem spared no time for pleasantries.

"the Titans as you feared are more formidable than we could imagine, as we are speaking they're already dealing crippling blows to our H.I.V.E associates back in Jump city… it won't take long before they'll try to interfere with our affairs"

Brother Blood approached Mother Mayhem and with an authoritative yet gentle touch stroked her cheek and chin while talking to her, making sure to never lose eye contact.

"my dear Mother Mayhem, this is no news to me… our so called 'associates' are nothing more to us than simple bankers indulging in nothing more than cheap theatrics, as for the Titans?, they are mere children, they cannot have an advantage over our experiences"

All the while the man next to Mother Mayhem couldn't help but feel nausea every time he reminded himself that there was a corpse in the middle of the room, a corpse that Brother Blood deliberately ignored.

As Brother Blood kept talking to Mother Mayhem he ushered her out, leaving without a single wasted or misplaced sentence, exiting the room so only the fat man remained with the cadaver, a fact that did not please him at all since he was now trying his best to drag her or rather it out of the chamber.

'gee boss, you could've send guards to take care of this mess… but what do I know… I'm both the paperweight and pencil pusher for you guys… fucking pricks…'

Fatso unceremoniously dropped the deceased blonde to the floor while reaching for his suits inner pocket to produce a two way radio, he quickly activated it and got on the line with someone else.

"hey Richards… the big boss got some work for you, get your ass over here on the double…" he didn't give the guy to response before he cut off the conversation leaving him alone to wait or Richards to arrive. Several moments has passed before a well build teen arrived into the chamber, walking casually like he has no care in the world, the older man quickly took notice of him and shot him a dirty glare that said. 'what the fuck took you so long'to which the young man replied.

"nothing really… I just wanted people to think that I live in a big house."the man just made a dumb expression laced with cynicism. "ha ha ha, very funny… now if you're done being a dick, could you give me a hand over here?"

The teen in question was now deliberately trying to annoy the old man by clapping his hands twice. The man simply couldn't take it anymore just snapped.

"just get over here you miserable joker before I'll give you a real reason to laugh about."

The boy couldn't help but give a smirk as he thought to himself quietly while giving the man an actual helping hand this time around.

'you always give me a reason Johns… 150 pounds of them every day'

Without any delay the two of them carried the body along Brother's Blood compound towards the morgue/ medical facilities of the Brother Blood's north America chapter.

Mr. Johns didn't waste a second withe the fresh corpse stripping the clothes off from her person and getting ready himself while preparing to cut her to pieces, Richards watched from the sidelines with an expression that conveyed a mixed feelings of discuss and morbid curiosity.

Meanwhile back at Titan's tower, Cyborg's living quarters, early afternoon.

Cyborg by any means was the opposite of what Robin is or rather was. He didn't find it necessary to obsess over any villain who got away or had any OCD like behavior, he was always the guy among his group who celebrated every little moment in life like it was his last cause a few years back it sure felt like is last, however Cyborg or rather Vic Stone is and always will be a guy who doesn't make false promises, and he made a promise to find Brother Blood and get justice for his ex Marcy Reynolds, in fact that what he was focused on right now.

Cyborg at this very moment had his tools laid out on the table while working hard and tweaking a new invention of his that looked like a wedding band, he worked and tweaked it as much as possible for over 7 hours every day to get it working just right up until this moment which he was sure that he worked out all of the kinks in the system but he needed to be sure, so he called the only one who for the most part will always give him a 100% honest opinion, Beast boy.

A few minutes has passed since Beast boy got the call, at the moment he was at Titan's living room shooting the shit with the rest of his friends on a nice day and a 'slow' day for crime fighting. One thing led to another and the next thing he knew was that his friends wanted to go out to town and have fun, so now with a spring in his step he jogged towards Cyborg's room.

As though the room itself could sense Beast Boy's presence the doors to Cyborg's man cave/garage opened slowly to reveal not Cyborg but an athletic African American young man flexing his muscles while grinning like a fool. Beast boy naturally had to ask the following question.

"cyborg?…. what the hell have you done to yourself….?

Vic Stone could only grin at his friend's reaction while thinking 'mission accomplished'

Vic enjoyed on some level with how his best friend reacted but to quickly get back on topic he chose to explain what happened by removing the ring he created, returning to his 'old' self once again.

"you see this ring greengo?, this ring with the help of tiny projectors can induce any image programmed into it on it's wearer… and yes, this is the most simple way of explaining it".

Beast boy to put it mildly was no rocket scientist but he was no dummy either, so after a few minutes of trying to take it all in, he simply asked. "so basically….. it's like a visual effect in a block buster movie?" Cyborg gave him a grin and a nod to tell him that he hit bullseye, so Beast boy asked the following logical question.

"why…. or better yet….. what made you do that…" but then all of a sudden his pupils began to dilate, seemingly giving himself the answer he needed, still Cyborg felt the need to add something further.

"it's not about just Marcy man….. yeah I'm still pissed about it, but it's not the only reason….. he then stopped talking and brought up a projection of newspaper clips from different parts of the states and the world in general… every time this dude rolls up in town he leaves corpses of young kids in his wake….. all suffered from various symptoms of over production of red blood cells….. yeah, there is such a thing and the symptoms can be brutal and fucking nasty".

Beast boy would usually make a bad joke about now, but he knew better than that right now, surprisingly he went over to the projection to take a better look at the articles for a few moments before asking, well more like stating.

"this where the ring comes in?, you want to take this guy down from the inside?" Cyborg at this point kept quiet, quirking an eyebrow asking him silently if he's gonna try to talk him out of it, to which Beast boy replied.

"no… but on two conditions… the first one, you'll tell everyone about it, no way I'll let you fly solo… and the second condition….. you'll let me borrow the ring from time to time….. I miss seeing myself in anything other than shades of green" he spoke the last sentence silently and solemnly, Cyborg just patted him on the shoulder saying wordlessly.

'i got you man…. and that's a deal little buddy'.

A small moment of silence was created between Cyborg and Beast boy before Beast boy cleared his throat to break the moment before it gets too awkward and/or uncomfortable.

"now about the ring man… that's a cool idea and all… but you need to work on the graphics a little later on… okay man?"

Cyborg gave his friend an amused and curious look silently asking him 'why later little man…. why not work on it now?' which Beast boy quickly caught on, explaining while reeling him in with the bait.

"well… us guys and gals on Titan's tower want to hang out in the city today…. you know let loose and have the time of our lives, and we need a driver on this run…. that's where you come in… see we don't need just a car…. we need the car….. and we all know, nobody touches your baby but you….."

Now that made Vic smile and laugh his heart out while Beast boy feeling great that he convinced his friend and made him laugh to boot, Vic let it all out and said the following.

"you had me at 'hang out' man….. count me in."

At that both teens shook hands on it and got out of Cyborg's room towards the corridor while a little while later Vic's voice was heard from the corridor echoing inside the empty room.

"seriously though man…. with a mouth and a sales pitch like yours, how come we don't see you hooking up often….?" Beast boy just had this to say. "what can I say?… girls just say that it's not the mouth….. it's what's attached to it that's bothering them" Beast boy just sighed deeply saying non verbally 'it's bullshit, but it's bullshit I have to live with' Cyborg just the same didn't say anything verbally which translated to.

'i know what you mean…. I had to live with it too'….

After a few minutes have passed all the Titans residing currently in the tower assembled in the titan's garage overlooking towards the city, once Cyborg and Beast boy got in everyone soon followed.

Inside the T car towards downtown Jump.

The Titans were currently discussing on where they should go, minus Cyborg who concentrated on driving while Beast boy, ever the conversationalist that he is, has taken charge of the conversation.

"say guys I got an awesome idea….." he stopped for a second to make sure everyone had their attention on him. "why don't we go clubbing for the day?… and guess who's got the hottest tip on what's going down tonight and every night?" everyone mumbled in unison, 'this is gonna be good', which agrivated Beast boy a little since he caught on the implication, so with extra energy in his voice he proudly announced.

"i got a hot invite to the hottest new club in town known as club Avaddone….. but it's more than just any club….. it's open practically all day and night long…. and it even doubles as a high stakes restaurant….. with reasonable and affordable prices…"

Everyone got real quiet for a few moments cause for once all agreed that Beast boy hit the jackpot on this one, though they will never admit it, they needed all the room they could get in the car and Beast boy's inevitable swollen ego wouldn't benefit anyone, only one dared to speak up and that was Cyborg simply asking.

"well greengo don't keep us in suspense pal….. hit me up with the direction so we could scope up the club man….."

Beast boy as if he was on autopilot started directing Cyborg towards their destination while one particular titan, Raven, got a thought running through her busy mind.

'should I tell anyone that Avaddone is probably based on the Hebrew translation of Doom?… decisions…. decisions…..' but at this point in time she reminded herself that Beast boy and Cyborg would probably get into an argument since apparently Beast boy just loves being a backseat driver.

Club Avaddone, late afternoon early evening

Club Avaddone is but the latest additions Jump City made to their night life scene in the last few months or so and easily established itself as one of the hottest spots in the city being a mix of a high quality restaurant during the day and an even fancier night club complete with a live stage for bands and wannabe comedians plus VIP rooms. With no extra charge. To top it all off the interior of the joint can only be summed up as lively with pastel decor, neon highlighting and an abundance of mirrors to make it seem like it's bigger than what it actually is.

"guys welcome to paradise…. or the next best thing….. so I'm told" Beast boy said sheepishly trying not to over hype the place while their walking inside, being blasted by all sides by Phil Collin's Sussuido. Beast boy, ever the self proclaimed party animal wasted no time heading straight to the dance floor while Cyborg and Starfire followed suit for their own reasons, Cyborg's was to keep Beast boy from waking up in a strange place and an even stranger situation while Starfire was sincerely curious and excited about this seemingly 'pleasure palace' so she wasted little time blending in which left Wonder Girl and Raven bringing up the rear or more precisely finding everyone a decent table and a place.

"why aren't you joining your friends Raven….. looks like their having a good time" Wonder Girl asked her friend a bit surprised that her friend had no reaction to the place whatsoever, Raven responded the following.

"please don't laugh, but loud places don't make me feel mentally well…. not to mention the flashing lights makes me physically ill….."

Wonder Girl/ Donna understood perfectly well what happened while gently patting Raven's back silently saying ' I get you…', while in the meantime Starfire tore up the dance floor once the next song, She's on fire by Amy Holland, started playing and blaring in the background while Beast boy and Cyborg tried to keep up, Beast boy in the meantime took a mental note.

'gee….. is there something she can't do…..'

All the while two men in a priest's clothes entered quietly taking the seats closest to the dance floor. Raven took immediate notice to it since the table her and Wonder Girl secured was close enough to watch over the dance floor and just close enough to the entrance.

When Raven took notice of the last two guys who arrived at the club she wasn't sure what to make of them. For one thing the whole priest look and motif was strange enough on it's own, however it got even stranger. The white on a usual priest or preacher outfit was replaced with crimson and their expression could be easily read as disgust, contempt and absolute hatred, even in the mental and visual chaos of her current surroundings. Deciding to play on her intuition she quietly regarded Wonder Girl.

"please tell me that it isn't just me that feels this guys….. now pointing to whom she referred to… aren't the least bit suspicious….."

Wonder Girl took notice fast and discretely scrutinized the two and it didn't take a genius to come to the same conclusion, however she had this to say.

"i got you loud and clear….. those 'bricks' didn't come to enjoy the booze…. for now though let them be… I'll keep a close eye on them, while you for once….. go and enjoy the party…."

Raven initially wanted to roll her eyes while retorting with a comment full of sarcasm, one problem though. Both Donna and Wonder Girl knew how to dish out the sarcasm in spades so any back and forth would be rendered mute, like the same magnetic charges canceling each other out. Second problem, Wonder Girl playfully and gently kicked her out of the table, making it impossible for her to return unnoticed. So with a small sigh she headed towards the dance floor leaving her to stand there a little awkwardly for a while until two things happened. The first she luckily found Beast boy among the crowd who in turn knew without asking what the trouble was and how to fix it, the second thing which was far more surprising to Raven was that the next track that got played was coincidentally one of her favorites, Laura Branigan's Self Control.

'note to self…. remember to pay 'bravery' over time when the night's done'.

With that Raven started stiffly dancing when she saw that Beast boy started dancing with her giving her a confidence boost when she noticed he didn't draw attention to her or himself, slowly letting herself relax a bit more into the dancing surprising herself with how her body fluently reacted to the beat of the song.

Meanwhile Wonder Girl allowed herself a small smile while tracking the two strange men like a hawk stalking it's prey.

Speaking of prey, the two gentlemen visiting the club/restaurant didn't do anything suspicious for a while under the discreet watchful eye of Wonder Girl, in fact they do much of anything except ordering a few drinks, apparently non alcoholic since they drank it often without showing any sign of intoxication, and the occasional trip back and forth to the bathroom, which in turn made her wonder.

'those guys might be up to something… there's no way their bladders are that weak….. only question is how to keep tabs on them without getting caught'

She thought about it for a few moments before getting an idea rolling, so without drawing attention she made it to the dance floor searching for Beast boy. Luckily for her the track playing over the stereo was David A. Stewart/ Candy Dulfer's rendition of Lily Was Here, which for Wonder Girl meant that navigating the crowd gracefully wasn't much of a problem.

"beast boy… hey beast boy get over here… we got a potential situation coming on….. better get the rest of the team with you….."

Beast boy was taken a back a little bit, genuinely speaking, he would rather just have a quiet night without anything big or small threatening to ruin his day, but since he knew that Wonder Girl wasn't usually the stick in the mud, he decided reluctantly to oblige her and immediately tried finding and gathering the rest of the team, now dancing and having a good time while the track changing and transitioning to David Bowie Let's Dance.

Raven was by a small blessing the most easiest of the Titans to tear away from the dance floor since she was getting tired pretty fast and though it wasn't a horrible experience, she will be first to admit that dancing really isn't her scene, next was Cyborg who proved to be a bit of a challenge since besides dancing, had struck a few conversations and received a lot of flirtatious offers mostly by women and oddly some by men, scratch that it's a night club a lot weirder can happen, though in the end when Beast boy got his attention, it took no less than a few seconds to convince him to break away from the party, and lastly the was Starfire to approach and boy that was the most difficult to deal with. When she started dancing she couldn't stop, not to mention that her natural sex appeal drove every man and teen completely nuts whether she intended it or not, including Beast boy himself who mentally had to slap himself for being distracted like that. After a few moments has passed he finally managed to catch her attention and lead her away from the dance floor.

Once all Titans were assembled near the dinning table Wonder Girl started gauging her friends reaction when she started saying the following words.

"I'm sorry to spoil everyone's fun but you see those two weirdos over there?….. she was asking while gesturing with her eyes as to where to look, immediately followed by the Titan's gaze landing on the two dressed as though it was Sunday night at the church….. those two have gone out of sight all evening long… always to the same place….. and I don't think it's because of the drinks in this joint…." Cyborg to verify her assessment immediately ran face recognition on the both of them without any luck, making him think two things.

'either one… those creepy fuckers don't have any records on them….. or most likely are too damn smart to have a record to begin with…..'

Cyborg was thinking for a few moments and decided to do a thorough search on their clothes this time… it took a few minutes searching thru every social media sites, posts and news article until he found what he was looking for, and the results were anything but good.

"Got it….. shit, those jokers work for none other than Brother Blood….."

Everyone got really quiet for a second before Beast boy piping in. "that's nuts….. what the hell does that James Earl Jones wannabe even bother with such a place?… someone should spy on them real….." but before he could finish the sentence all eyes averted on him, making him internally think.

'i should've kept my mouth shut…..'

Without further a do Beast boy began to stretch his limbs, pooping his knuckles and neck before finally transforming into a common house fly, once he was sure no one was paying any mind to him or try to swat him out of annoyance he quickly took flight, navigating thru the crowd was not as easy as he had hoped and once landing on the suspect's table the two were on their scheduled 'bathroom break' making him think.

'well since I'm here….. might as well order some sugar cubes'.

While being a fly Beast boy was waiting patiently for the 'gentlemen' to return to their table, which unfortunately for him took a very few long minutes. Taking a toll on his patience he decided to fly and hover around as not to fall asleep or arouse suspicion among the men, if they ever decide to return. Unfortunately for him it meant he was pissing off most of the patrons in the club, so logic dictated everyone and their grandmother were trying to swat the annoying green pest, a single thought went thru Beast boy's brain.

'oh I would love to turn into a green hornet and seek Cato on your asses….. bunch of assholes…..'

However before he would resort into doing something really foolish he spotted his targets heading back to their table. Without a second to lose he flew over to their table and quite stealthily landed on one of the men chairs and made it's way on his coat eavesdropping on the two's conversation.

"please remind me why are we waiting this long to eradicate these blasphemers when we're more than well equipped to send them straight to hell….. where they all belong…?'

The man being asked began to moan in irritation of his partners lack of patience, before answering which was now apparent a frequently asked question.

"look if this establishment is not to your satisfaction, you're more than welcome to leave… you know damn well why we're not killing them right away…. it is the wishes of Brother Blood so those blasphemers could feel the cleansing fires of Blood before their souls could probably sent to hell…."

Beast boy now internally panicking found withing himself the courage to get a bit closer and unnoticed so he could get visual intell. From his current position he now had a small view at what they were carrying beneath their suits they were carrying each a couple of Molotov cocktails and respectively a silenced Mac 10 and an Uzi 9 mm.

'holly shit gotta warn the others quick'.

And with that he flew as quickly as his wings allowed him to towards his equally anxious friends, keeping in turn an close eye on their targets and him.

Beast boy returned to his friend's table and transformed back into his default form, he was exhausted from trying to double time it in the form of a fly, his breathing was labored and forced however he tried to warn the Titans but to no avail cause the minute Beast boy got a grip on his breathing the two men, now assailants , drew their weapons respectively and started gunning down victims indiscriminately, that however wasn't the most horrific part, the true horror lied that their shots were precise, methodical and clinical.

Before the carnage could continue the Titans without a moments notice leaped into action, Cyborg the first one to go, followed suit by Starfire, Wonder Girl, Raven and Beast boy, Raven chanted her mantra 'Azarth Metrion Zinthos' creating a protective dome as far as her range could reach leaving Cyborg and Wonder Girl to respectively go after and protect civilians who weren't lucky to reach the protective shield in time, with Cyborg using a new feature on his arm, a retractable shield from his fore arm, and Wonder Girl using her and Wonder Woman's iconic bullet proof bracelets. Starfire growing more and more comfortable in her leadership role took to the air to assess the assailants calmly and formulate a reasonable strategy to incapacitate them with minimal to no injury, determining that the best option is to distract them long enough so they would stop shooting leaving them wide open enough for a strong tackle to knock the wind out of them.

Beast boy surprisingly thought the same as Starfire, using his morphing ability not only to dodge stray bullets but to also sneak up on the shooters, once he got close enough he took a small gamble transforming into an unpredictable animal form, that of a velociraptor, once fully transformed he quickly made himself visible towards the criminals, making them effectively stop shooting out of sheer fear without having to roar even once, giving her the perfect opportunity Starfire swooped in the speed of light and tackled both men at the same time, knocking the wind out of them as they were flung a few feet thru the entrance towards the parking lot, losing consciousness leaving them with the minimum amounts of injuries, still Starfire couldn't help but think and feel.

'X'hal, if you would lend me your ear, I would pray that my force was contained enough so these earthlings wouldn't suffer permanent damage…'

Once the coast was clear Cyborg and the other Titans relaxed their stance and effectively searched for survivors/ assessed the damage the attack did and the medical condition of any survivor and victim a like.

Outside club Avaddone, the parking lot.

Whilst the Teen Titans Beast boy, Cyborg and Wonder Girl where tending to the wounded in the club Starfire took the initiative and attempted to make the assailants talk, one of them was knocked over from the fight breathing as much as he could while dealing with the migraine caused by Starfire's restraint while the second one, though in no real condition for a fight, still put up a struggle while the alien warrior grabbing him by the hems of his shirt handling him like a paperweight.

"while I'm not a native to your planet, I believe our two world's share a basic understanding that religious representatives of any gods do not debase themselves with immoral behaviors like murder….. so since you showed me wrong, I am giving you a chance to redeem yourself… for what purpose exactly Brother Blood has sent you…?". to show that she meant business, Starfire's free hand and eyes began to glow dangerously green to which the man in question countered with.

"now why would I betray my one true lord and savior….?" Starfire expected an answer like that, mostly because her exile among the stars has 'rewarded' her with getting first hand knowledge on what types of fanatic followers the universe has to offer.

"while I'm patient by nature, I would not let you make a fool out of me… you are nothing but a pawn to this Brother Blood….. once you'd live your usefulness to him, I assure you, he would not hesitate to silence you….. Permanently."

Before the man could either continue arguing or give a definite answer Starfire saw a black aura surrounding the man's body while Raven and the rest of the team arrived at the parking lot.

" he sent those two to make an example of the local populous….. in case someone wants to have an opinion other than what Brother Blood expects….." Raven stated as matter of fact, Starfire was about to ask Raven to find Brother Blood's current whereabouts but Raven beat her to it.

"Buzzsaw masschusetts"Starfire released the man in question stating with absolute authority. "you have two choices to make… surrender to the police, or flee as far away as you can…. you're choice"

The man now released from Starfire's vice grip started staring daggers into her before reluctantly picking up his associate and started moving towards one particular car in the parking lot, a maroon 1977 Buick Electra 225, the two of them got in the vehicle with the Teen Titans watching their every move, whether their intent was to disappear out of Brother Blood's reach or turn themselves into police custody, they will keep a close watch on them as a precaution, however there was seemingly a problem. The car in question wasn't moving although the engine was roaring to life, the drivers weren't responsive and to top it all off the car windows were tinted so any lip reading was especially hard, taking to consideration that the Titans themselves were a car length distance.

A sudden realization hit Beast boy like a base ball bat but before he could share the titbit with the rest of his team were hit with the shock of watching said car catching spontaneous combustion, burning it's occupants to a crisp, to add to the horror factor was the fact that the victims didn't scream in terror while the flames consumed them. A few good minutes has passed until the EMTS arrived at the scene of the prevented tragedy, it was agreed among the Titans that they would stay to offer assistance to the medics on the scene with the survivors until well the police and the CSI would arrive to investigate the torched car before they'll leave.

Titan's tower, living room, late evening.

When the Titans arrived back home there was a collective silence among the group, none encapsulating it better than Beast boy, who rightfully so felt guilty and uncomfortable about the event due to it being his idea to spend the day at the club, but instead of wallowing in self pity he was trying his best to think of a way to apologize to his friends, Cyborg being his best bud had caught his train of though and started patting him on the back and messing his hair a bit, catching the youngest Titan by surprise.

"don't worry about it little man….. there was no way any of us could see it coming…."

Beast boy still doubtful was trying to protest but Cyborg knowing his friend stopped him by saying. "you know what….. if you insist to make it up to us, go ahead and order for us a Brooklyn style pizza while we'll meet in ops and figure out how to take down that Brother Blood creep for good….." Beast boy nodded with relief on his face and darted towards the phone.

Buzzsaw masschusetts, Brother Blood's guests house, church grounds, late night early morning.

The young acolyte simply referred to as Richards had come back to his room after a hard day of work which involved keeping a close eye on the local congregation of Brother Blood in addition of running errands to the management at hand. His room at first glance was a modest looking room designed to bring comfort to its occupant however that isn't the case. The wall paper surrounding the room was colored a light pastel blue, mimicking the open air/ocean view, while the tile floors were colored very light beige to add an earthly feel to it and finally for the ceiling the color white was chosen to make the room less small than it actually is, notwithstanding the room itself was close to completely barren except for the minimal essentials like a modest bed, a small night stand and a medium sized closet, The closest thing for decor were a few strategically placed scented candles. Richards didn't mind the minimalism so he approached the bed to lay in it, once laying down he took out a pen from his clothes and messed around with it, revealing it was a trick pen doubling as a recording device.

'entry log #73, Richard John Grayson.

It's been more than two months since I managed to infiltrate Brother Blood's operation here at Buzzsaw masschusetts, what I learned so far isn't very much…. but this much is… he's taken control over every follower he has thru voodoo like rituals, whether it is an actual practice or some perversion of an actual practice is yet to be determined….. what is painfully obvious his hold over his devotees can be attributed to an advanced technique of mind control….. end transmission and self destruct in case someone other than me finds it….'

Feeling like he couldn't fall asleep if he tried Richard got up from bed and just stood in the middle of the room for what appears to be about an hour, thinking intently about a lot of things in an attempt to calm his anxious mind, once he felt his mind was calming enough he made one mental note.

'note to self… incorporate this shade of blue into your new costume'

With that he returned to bed, tucking the pen on his person before finally allowing himself to fall asleep.

Over the next few days Richards a.k.a Richard Grayson tried his absolute best to both blend in into his surroundings without exposing himself to the mind trickery Brother Blood tried to disguise as a pseudo religion, therefore focusing on being Mr. Johns aide, a glorified custodian and janitor. That being said it suited him perfectly since no higher up at this establishment ever took him seriously to begin with, in edition it gave him the perfect chances to snoop around the premises without arising too much suspicion, or at least that's what he thought.

The church of Blood's steeple, Sebastian Blood's office.

Brother Blood was standing in his office facing the large window of the steeple waiting for Mr. Johns to arrive, said man in question was staring out of the window in no particular direction, just taking in the outside surroundings, however the hard lines plastered around his face suggests that he is currently in deep contemplation, the lines on his face clearly being made more harsher due to the minimal natural lighting that actually come through.

A few more moments pass by until a soft knock is heard on the office doors, however Brother Blood does not choose to respond, a moment later the door opens to reveal a panting and wheezing Mr. John.

'damn cheapskate…. he has plenty of cash to spend on ancient books that no one knows how to read, scary as crap gargoyles Hammer productions wouldn't use, fancy mahogany furniture…. but not enough cash to install a goddamn elevator…..'

Mustering all his remaining strength to speak instead of collapsing on the floor and succumbing to a heart attack he asked through greeted teeth and laboured breathing. "you summoned me, my lord…?"

Brother Blood with all his intimidating figure and larger than life presence seemed to turn around towards him but in fact reached to a hidden button underneath the office desk, while pressing it the center portion of the book shelves retracted inwards to reveal a smaller hidden room within the steeple shrouded from the outside view in darkness, after the process was finished, Brother Blood simply issued the next command.

"follow me….. this time silently if you don't mind."

Mr. Johns would've taken an issue with his boss's last statement but acting on his better judgement he opted to follow him inside, once inside the room he witnessed with a mixture of awe and alarm on his face what can only be described as a scene in an underground bunker in War World II, only replacing the old tactical equipment with state of the art computers and the soldiers helming said equipment with 'trained' and 'loyal' acolytes, both male and female.

"you should feel honored Mr. Johns…" Brother Blood said in a chilling and booming manner, scaring his said 'assistant' half to death, before continuing with his monologue… " I have taken and perfected the very teachings of every great leader known to humanity from Julius Cesar to Adolf Hitler himself and perfected it using modern day technology….. through access to social media and various government agencies I have monitored not only my disciples on an intimate level but also every potential enemy that stands in my way…"

Afraid of the implications and tone of his master's statement Mr. Johns asked in a whispering, almost subdued tone. "I sense an however is following sir?" Brother Blood almost grinned evilly from being impressed but he made it a point not to show such displays towards anyone even his most of devout followers.

"how astute of you….. yes, for the last few weeks, this team of highly talented peons has managed to retrieve not a single piece of intell on our latest 'member' of our esteemed church Mr. Richards… to add insult to injury he evades any chance on participating in any of our rituals and ceremonies….."

Mr. Johns cut in rather impatiently, a point that Brother Blood as noted with an annoyed look masked by a tolerant one. "pardons oh malevolent one….. so you imply he's a spy….. and you want me to have a 'talk' with him to find out for who and how much does he already know?….."

Brother blood just patiently waited for the fat swine of a servant to stop his insistent squealing before answering. "now leave the young man to me….. I have my own ways to delve into the bottom of it… I'll leave you in charge by keeping our sheep in line….. in addition of vetting any potential new 'recruits'….. unless you want a repeat of what happened with our dearly departed Ms. Reynolds."

Mr. Johns had nothing to say so he carried on as usual, if not from loyalty, than for the chance to escape the crippling presence of Brother Blood.

Brother Blood has chosen to ignore the overgrown and overweight buffoon as he escaped his sight since his sights were set somewhere else, now addressing his most loyal subjects.

"keep me appraised with any change on our…. mysterious follower, I've waisted more precious time than I can allocate….."

With that he left the hidden room and with him gone the 'temperature' has returned to the room only to be 'sealed' yet again when the hidden doors closed.

Titans tower, ops room, early morning.

Cyborg partly anxious about taking Brother Blood out and partly from being pumped up for finally being able to keep his promise to Marcy, has brought together the following Titans, Beast boy,Wonder Girl and Raven without considering the time. Beast boy not being an early morning person tried and failed miserably keeping his eyes open, Wonder Girl being actually a morning person was visibly pissed for not getting an actual chance to enjoy a simple cup of coffee, and Raven being a creature of habits was miffed about being interrupted in her morning routines and rituals, however her being herself she managed to mask the irritation as indifference.

"thank you for coming everyone… Cyborg began, only to get in return stares that indicated 'like we had a choice…..' so he pressed on "with permission from Starfire, I gathered you all here to recruit you on an undercover mission to take down the son of a bitch who calls himself Brother Blood….. any questions?".

"one… couldn't this have waited after lunch….? Beast boy attempted to ask trying to restrain his yawning but failed yet again, so Raven continued his line of thought.

"i hate stating the obvious but most of our core members over here stick out like sore thumbs….. including you if you forgot in your infectious excitement."

Cyborg anticipated that line of logic so he pulled out three rings identical to what he was working before the Avaddone incident, giving one to Raven, one to Beast boy and the last one he slipped it on to turn himself completely human. In between transformation Beast boy mouthed a 'thanks' to Raven, in return she did the same by replying 'you're welcome'.

"here goes nothing…." Beast boy declared dramatically as he slipped the ring on his finger, transforming him into a common looking teen with brown hair accented by a golden glow that came from the light and almond brown, everyone was taken a back for a minute, not being used seeing their friend looking ordinary whilst Beast boy/Garfield Logan has quickly gone outside to find a mirror, everyone in the room followed ensue.

Once everyone entered the living room they saw Garfield near a vanity mirror hanging on an inner wall of the tower, checking himself out, sending kisses to himself and making any kind of goofy facial expression imaginable. This process took a few minutes before Garfield opted to ask.

"say Vic… is it possible to access settings on this thing… I wonder how would I look in shades of blue…." before Vic could respond Raven saw fit to cut in. "I'm sure there is, but there is an even simpler solution….. choking you until you reach the shade of blue that satisfies you….."

Vic tried his best not to burst out laughing before he made his next comment. "you do realize that statement is so wrong on so many levels right, Wonder Girl/Donna tried her best to contain her laughter with an occasional burst of snickering in between a knowing smirk. Raven on the other hand didn't get the memo about what her other two friends have meant but the more she thought about it the quicker it sunk in making her blush uncontrollably and profusely before Garfield came by to deliver the mother of all ironic statements.

"you just had to open your mouth…"

Now at this point all of them burst into a fit of laughter, even Raven had to admit while smiling and laughing that Garfield's joke was a solid hit, after a few moments of catching their breaths Garfield patted Vic's shoulder before heading back to his room, Vic giving him a questioning look as to where he was going Garfield simply replied with.

"back to bed… I need my beauty sleep" Vic couldn't help but mutter to himself, "in your case it's a comatose state…." to which Garfield now transforming back to Beast boy simply replied.

"i heard that!"

Beast boy was laying down in bed sleeping soundly for several hours getting closer and closer to noon and aside from re-positioning himself on the bed or drooling on his pillow, nothing could stir him while he slept, well at least that's a challenge Cyborg was hoping to overcome if he would like to continue with his preparation for the sting to take down Brother Blood. Cyborg was now currently standing at the threshold to Beast boy's room taking a look at the state of it's room, looking like a minefield of garbage, leftovers and unwashed clothes. Cyborg grinned wildly when he came up with the perfect idea on how to wake his best friend, in addition to the perfect idea for revenge regarding him setting up the alarm clocks/radios in the tower. After quick and surprisingly silent maneuvering from the resident 'heavy artillery' of the team he was now towering over his unsuspecting target, accessing his systems he connected himself to the tower's stereo system and after adjusting the sound levels to the maximum a human could bear, he flipped thru his own collections of songs on a saved playlist and let it rip on Status Quo In the army now.

The song hit Beast boy's ears like a grenade exploding next to him multiplied by ten which sent him jumping towards the ceiling out of sheer panic, causing him to yell at the antics of his friend.

"Jesus fucking Christ….. what the holly hell is wrong with you man ….. you could've given me a heart attack man….." Cyborg was now sporting a shit eating grin before he addressed him. "debriefing in ten minutes soldier….. don't be late…. oh and Beast boy…. put some clothes on….. no body needs to see your privates private…."

Beast boy in response gave what appeared to be a mock salute only in the end to be a flipping off motion to Cyborg who in turn started cracking up as he was leaving, causing the poor shaking changeling to come down slowly to start searching for his uniform, all the while grumbling and muttering profanities at the asshole who almost made him shit the bed in fear.

Changing quickly he zoomed out of the room towards ops, making a pit-stop in the kitchen to get a glass of water to calm his nerves, before dashing towards ops once again.

'this is better be good….. or god help me…..'

The Titans quickly got around to the business at hand quickly establishing everyone's backstory for the mission and practicing it so the covers will remain consistent. Beast boy will play a self absorbed teen heartthrob Logan Marks, an A list celeb seeking refuge in the order of Blood after escaping rehab for about the umpteenth time, Cyborg will now be known as Victor Vic Lance, a disgraced football star that got caught up in a scandal due to being an adrenaline junkie who's reckless behavior has cost several lives. On the last minute Wonder Girl has opted to resign from the mission citing that someone needs to stay in the city and keep protecting it, joined by Raven citing that her powers would interfere with the undercover part of it, opting to be backup if something unforeseen is to happen, leaving Starfire to join the new reformed team. Since the change up for the last couple of minutes Starfire was trying to come up with a cover up story fitting for her.

"Victor, would it sound plausible if I will portray a young spoiled heiress tired of her current lifestyle, seeking out an exotic adventure?….."

Vic nodded in affirmation citing that's a perfect idea but still he had to know. "let me guess… you thought about your sister while coming up with the idea… right?" Starfire gave a humble nod while everyone in the room began practicing once more, a few more minutes have passed and out of nowhere Beast boy interrupts.

"sorry guys… I took the liberty to call Kid Flash up and ask him to join the party….. you know in case the backup needs backup…." the response he got in return was a deadpan silence which dragged out to be an awkward kind of silence opting him to ask.

"did I do something dumb again…..?"

Everyone other than Beast boy were quick to dispel the notion, telling him that for once he did something uncharacteristically smart on his accord, only that for next time he should tell them in advance. After a few more moments of mentally reviewing everyone's new back stories Beast boy felt he had to ask the following question.

"anyone here knows of a good way to physically train against both a mystic and supernatural enemy?… we could use a good training session against that…."

Raven knew right away it wasn't one of her smartest or well thought out ideas but in all honesty she found no better alternatives for the time being, plus if by any chance Brother Blood turns up to be an underwhelming foe to battle, the experience she was about to put the team through could either be a great benefit for future battles or even better, a great chance to bond with her friends beyond previously established.

Raven drew the attention of the rest of her teammates by clearly stating. "follow me…."

Raven's quarters, early noon.

The Titans were now standing in front of Raven's room, for some inexplicable reason frightened to step inside, perhaps it was due to the reason that Raven's room was the darkest rooms in the building both literally and figuratively speaking, that said since Beast boy among the group was the most prone for risk taking, made the first few steps into the room and in attempt to release the building tension, he chose to make a comment.

"wow….. did you add something to your room?… you did add something to the room…." Raven rolling her eyes at his 'humorous' way to state the obvious shot back dryly.

"yes… it's called 'life sucks, then you die'…", the apparent sarcasm was lost on Beast boy when he simply replied the following.

"must be french…"

Raven trying has hard as she could not to smack Beast boy on the back of the head, and then smacking herself on her forehead for letting him goad her into this situation to begin with, ushered her friends to step inside cautiously before she'd have the chance to develop cold feet, once inside she made her way towards her dresser to find an object that looked to the untrained eye like a vanity hand mirror, once in her possession, she addressed everyone with a warning.

"I'm not going to lie….. the next few moments could be harrowing to most…. so I would like to ask….. if anyone has second thoughts or a nervous disposition, I would advise you to turn around and leave….. this journey is not for the feint of hearts…."

With that warning out of the way Raven's hand mirror started glowing black, one moment all of her friends and teammates situated in her room and the other, after going thru a rabbit hole that felt like the combined experience of A clockwork orange and Willy Wonka's chocolate tunnel scene later, landing in what appeared to be the blackness of space, accompanied by a narrow stone passage way, a few strange archways, and a flock of creepy four eyed ravens.

"remind me to pitch this crazy ride to Universal….. I'm sure they'll make a killing in ticket sales….." Beast boy said to no one in particular as he got of the ground feeling shaky and dusty. Raven paying no mind to the comment, not that in this precise moment she found a suitable to address it any way, simply stated.

"for those visiting for the first time….. welcome to the physical manifestation of my mind… in here, every fought, every musing and every emotion gets a physical representation… emotions especially are represented by duplicates of me, colored coordinated of course….. the idea behind this trip being that if you survive a few days in my mind, you'd probably survive any psychic attack thrown by our enemies by tenfold".

Starfire was about to raise a point while possibly asking a question, but before that could happen a pinkish streak came from a nearby 'archway' tackiling Beast boy to the ground.

"Beast boy Beast boy Beast boy…. I missed you so much….. and you brought friends too…." a pink representation of Raven symbolizing happiness, giddiness and friendliness in general said endearingly and rapidly while pecking him on his cheek like a woodpecker pecks on a tree log leaving him confused and breathless, which left all other Titans surprised and contempt with a grin on their face while directing it towards Raven, mentally asking.

' anything you'd like to confess to Raven?' to which now said Titan and girl giving a simple shrug, clearly replying.

'all evidence speaks for themselves in here…. apparently….'

The Titans were about to proceed with their business at hand until Beast boy interrupted. "hi there….. still down here…. remember?…."

An awkward pause has befallen the Titans for quite a few moments until Beast boy tried gently pushing the pushy pink Raven before asking the big question of the day. "would someone please give me a hand here?" to which the Titans responded in unison by clapping their hands. Beast boy however was not amused simply stating with laced sarcasm in his voice.

"funny guys….."

With that bit of levity out of the way it was decided that the literal mental training should commence at once, and after a few rocky starts the actual training went underway.

The church of Brother Blood, basement levels, mid noon.

The day so far has gone without an hitch and Richard still assuming the disguise of Mr. Richards was summoned by Mr. Johns, Brother Blood's right hand man at the Buzzsaw chapter of the church for a brief conversation. From the location alone Richard deduced that it can't be just about pleasantries, so on the way to the little meeting all that came to his head was the following thought.

'crap… no doubt my cover was blown… doesn't matter right now how… I need to stay calm and think of an exit strategy…..'

As he went further down into the basement he could literally feel the walls of the building closing in on him, not to mention that the air was beginning to stifle him as he recognized the smell of incest and scented candles in the room which made him suspect that Brother Blood was in the midst of performing yet another 'ritual' to his followers, his suspicions only confirmed when he clearly began to hear the rhythmic beatings of 'ceremonial' drums, however as soon as he entered the room he was instructed to enter, he couldn't have imagined what he was about to witness, yet he was visibly unmoving, only one thought crossed his mind.

'Richard John Grayson…. what the fuck have you gotten yourself in this time'

However before any other thought could be formed, Brother Blood has greeted the expected guest.

"ah Brother Richards… so wonderful of you to join us… please make yourself at home…."

"don't mind if I do…." Richard/Mr. Richards replied with a somewhat ironic tone in his wording, finding a seat between two 'followers' who sat in front of Brother Blood crossed legged in a conscious yet tranced, almost to the state of zombie like. However, the real spectacle happened in front of him, Mr. Johns now in a state of complete undress is being held to a post, improvised from a coat rack, with his arms and legs being tied by a thick and sturdy rope, while the more 'responsive' believers in the midst of Brother Blood held a dagger in their hands dancing and swaying to the rhythm of the drum being played in the room, cutting away bits of Mr. Johns flesh every so often while the 'star attraction' himself was conscious enough to feel the sensations of the cuts yet his body seemed unresponsive, no doubt to the smell of the scented candles and incense in the air as Richard deduced.

This celebration went on for what seemed like an hour and with every minute passes so another cut is added to Mr. Johns making his suffering all the more torturous to watch. A few more minutes passed and the ceremonious melody came to a stop, next, Brother Blood raises his right hand with authority to his disciples to decease their actions. He gets up, produces his sword from where he stood, and with a single graceful movement of a dancer he swings his sword towards Mr. John's throat,effectively decapitating him. Brother Blood after that motion hands over the sword to one of his female follower or to be put more bluntly, slave, while Richard/Mr. Richards finds his voice once more, trying his best to not let the surprise get the best of him.

"I'm guessing that this little 'show' his a warning for me… to avoid of doing or even thinking of doing something foolish?…"

Brother Blood only grinned at this point before addressing his 'guest'.

"Precisely Mr. Richards….. you see I had my doubts about you for quite some time….. I even instructed my….. former employee, to try to uncover who you really were….. he was unsuccessful in that regard….. so I found a better use for him….. besides he was an annoying bastard, so I doubt someone will miss him….." Brother Blood started smilling and cackling loudly while Richard only thought to himself.

'great going grayson… what have you really gotten in yourself this time….'

 **To be concluded/continued next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 05: Blood oath

It's been a few days after the Titans ventured into Raven's mind, the training has been concluded as a success by Starfire and Cyborg which meant it was time to return home and proceed with the operation as scheduled. Once all returned they were greeted by Kid Flash who made himself at home by raiding their fridge, however neither of the Titans was even slightly surprised so after a few moments of playful arguing and bantering it was decided that Beast boy would go shopping and Cyborg would go with him just in case he would be distracted while on the way.

Later that day the two Titans returned to the tower with groceries for all of them and they made sure of it watching Kid Flash like hawks. Much later after everyone ate they got to the little details of the plan on how to infiltrate Brother Blood's compound to bring Kid Flash on to speed, which as anyone could guess it wasn't that hard, more so Kid Flash even thought as far ahead to think up back stories for himself and Raven just in case they needed to get involved.

Outside Jump City, on the road towards Buzzsaw, late morning.

Victor Vic Lance was tearing up the road with his custom Mercedes-Benz 500 SEC at about 80 MPH, while the song Missing Persons - Destination Unknown is being blasted through the stereo system, his passengers are his teammates Beast boy going by his alias Logan Marks and Starfire, with her alias being Korina D, both hanging to dear life hoping that their driver won't send them to hell.

"not to be a backseat driver man… but aren't you getting a little too much into character?….. besides anymore faster, and we'll most likely travel back in time…." Logan said in between trying not to bite into his tongue, Vic could only chuckle at this.

"what's the matter little man?… don't you trust your old pal Vic Lance…..?" Logan could only reply with. "sorry man I only know Vic stone…. I don't know any Vic Lance". and with that Vic Lance accelerated the car to go even faster, leaving Logan only to think.

'shit….. this is not how I wanted to die….. I wanted to die having a threesome on my 100th birthday….. fuck'

Richard/Mr. Richards was waiting early in the morning near the entrance to Brother Blood's property at his request to screen through between the true believers and the undesirables, well 'requested' was too much of a nicer word to use since there was no chance in hell to forget the grizzly sight he witnessed just a few days prior.

By all means it was the beginning of winter in the Buzzsaw area and it just so happened to be that that particular morning was one of the coldest to be kept on record, Richard however did not appear to mind it much since he kept himself busy with his thoughts, however one thought kept reoccurring in his mind.

'gee I hope those new guys get here sooner….. this fucking suit provided by Brother Blood isn't designed in mind to keep my nuts warm…..'

Just as he finished that thought he began witnessing in the distance a Mercedes-Benz 500 SEC speeding along the road at what seemed like 88 MPH while The song Can't drive on 55 by Sammy Hagar came blaring from the driver seats. As the car came closer and close Richard witnessed it coming to a hard stop while skidding next to the property's gate, that didn't surprise him whatsoever so he didn't even bother flinching, however what did made him flinch was seeing the passengers and driver.

"Vic… is that you man….. what the hell happened…..?" Vic was about to crack a wise ass line on the 'whitey' who tried to get chummy with him, but one glance at him and he changed his tune almost 180. he got out of the car revealing he wasn't the only friend around to see it as he got closer to Richard.

"as I live and breath….. look what hell just coughed up…." Beast boy/Logan however had this to say. "don't take it the wrong way man, but go fuck yourself you dick….. thanks to you I almost puked my lunch all over the back….. but before he could finish his sentence he noticed what Vic meant, leaving him dumbfounded while Korina/Starfire seemingly unphased from the drive, was trying to play it as aloof as possible in the hopes to maintain her cover, however as soon as she laid eyes on the young man greeting them, she found herself beginning to tear up a little while her breath is hitching in her throat until she found her voice only to mutter/whisper the only response she could think of.

"Richard…. you are here…"

Before anyone can comprehend what came next Starfire/Korina got out quickly and tackled Richard to the ground giving him a crushing bear hug as the young man in question felt himself gasping for air.

"Starfire….. Kory dear… I can;t breathe… can you please let up just a bit….? Richard asked while trying to get loose of her vice grip while the disguised alien beauty simply replied.

"hmmmm no…. this is your punishment for leaving your friends and loved ones….. without saying proper goodbye non the less….."

Richard understood very well what was happenning, in truth he deserved a good punch in the face for what he did and what he made his friends go through so instead he opted to release his arms so he could embrace the emotional young woman in front of him as tightly as he could, ignoring Vic and Logan at the moment who were enjoying the scene as casual observers, this moment lasted for a few moments until Richard had to intervene.

"now with all seriousness guys, we have to act like we don't know each other….." Korina gave him a curious look, releasing him so he could elaborate and coincidentally breathe as well, which he did simultaneously.

"Brother Blood has the entire compound under constant surveillance, either by cameras or sentries making patrols on daily basis…. so I'll need your names and reasons for being here."

Beast boy/Logan started. "name's Logan Marks… number 1 heartthrob in L.A, escaped rehab recently… trying to find a quiet place that would let me indulge my vices…

Cyborg/Victor Vic Lance continued after him. "Vic Lance… former football star… seeking a new start after running into the 'pigs' a few times….."

Starfire/Korina finished off the introductions. "Korina darling….. a famous heiress sweet….. looking for an adventure….. she approached Richards ear whispering seductively….. "any kind of adventure…..

Richard couldn't find his voice, only opting the others to follow him in.

Mr. Richards introduced the potential new members to the congregation led by Brother Blood and after a short ceremony which took place to further 'evaluate' the new guests they were escorted by Mr. Richards to the residential quarters of the compound.

The church of Blood, residential quarters, a while later.

An awkward silence fell on the group of friends, partly because Brother Blood gave the impression that he has someone on constant surveillance, only to be confirmed by Richard in private, however the second reason took precedence, Richard fell completely silent and off the grid, which disappointed and worried the rest of the Titans, so to say the atmosphere between them was tense would be one understatement.

"what a surprise, old Rob over here repeating his mistake all over again….." Cyborg/Vic broke the silence with an overt accusation to the former leader of the Teen Titans, Richard at times like this would've felt livid and offended by such accusations, however he just replied nonchalantly.

"think what you want man, I made this decision since Brother Blood's a menace that needs to be dealt sooner rather than later….. by the way why are all of you here?….. shouldn't you be back in Jump City dealing with pests like Gizmo or Doctor Light…..?" Vic at this point was losing his patience while trying to keep an even tone.

"none of that is your concern, but…" however Richard finished for him. "let me guess, you're here because he orchestrated the death of your high-school crush Marcy Reynolds….. leaving Beast boy and Starfire here to join you so you won't sign on a suicide mission, right…..?", leaving Vic silent, shocked and little by little pissed.

"you cold son of a bitch….. you put up Marcy into contacting me didn't you….. at this point Vic's voice grew louder and louder by the second while grabbing Richard and lifting him by the helm of his shirt, Richard on the other hand didn't bother to move or flinch.

"yes I did it…. I gave Marcy your current number….. did I set her up to die?….. no, I gave her a way out….. besides Brother Blood would've killed her either way….. he enjoys killing those he considers inferior to him…."

Vic had nothing more to say to his good buddy so he released him from his grip but not before giving him a fair talking to. "this little talk of ours…. it ain't over, not by a long shot." Richard respecting that got himself straighten out and respectable continued giving them a tour of the place, dropping vague hints about what he managed to discover so far about Brother Blood and his whole operation so far, and while everyone listened Logan jumped into the conversation.

"so this guy messes with everyone's mind around here to do whatever he wants…. that's about right?… here's a dumb question, how can we take down a bad guy who uses innocent people like bulletproof vests….?"

Beast boy may have said it's a dumb question, but it left the rest of his friends stumped for about 10 minutes before Richard simply replied with. "meet me at my room around 22:00… by then I'll have an answer ready."

Everyone else agreed with that assessment and continued with the tour ending up with the bedrooms in question, to no one's surprise they were identical to Richard's in layout or color scheme, Korina being true to character acted snobbishly while everyone else carried her luggage in, Vic on the other hand just came with one large suitcase that he carried himself close by and finally it was Logan's turn to 'check in' to his room and in typical fashion he had to say a wisecrack.

"looks nice, but a few questions now…. where's the phone for room service… where's the restaurant around this joint, where's the TV with paper-view….." but before Logan was done with his rant everyone else groaned, rolled their eyes and left him alone with his ego as company.

"hey… where did everybody go…..hello….. guys…..?"

Richard's quarters a little while later.

Richard was in his room wanting nothing more then to relax and record his thoughts after today, but as soon as he tried to lay down he heard a small knocking on his door. If memory served him right, he could guess who's knocking but in that creepy place anything could surprise him so instead he went to the door to see who it is, opening the door he saw Korina/Starfire lunge at him without warning smothering him with a lustful french kiss, after a few moments she parted with his lips to whisper seductively and humorously.

"i told you I was looking forward to an adventure….."

Korina and Richard kept kissing for a while longer until Richard started to get a bit more bolder reaching with his hands to her waist slowly heading upwards to where her breasts were, feeling his soft touch on her chest Korina started smiling in between the kisses before asking him playfully.

"my my are not you a bold one…" then she returned to kissing him just as intensely while Richard was replying smartly with a smirk of his own plastered on his face, like the cat who ate the canary really as Korina returned the favor by massaging sensually his abdomen reaching downwards to a very visible bulge.

"well I'm certainly not the one who passionately lunged on an innocent young man….. well seemingly innocent…." Richard 'corrected' himself as he now traveled with his lips gently along Korina's throat and neck which in turn made the young woman moan in pleasure which made him more excited with each passing second, but before anything else could happen Korina stopped him.

"let us continue this in my room….." she gave him a seductive look while gazing lovingly at him. Sensing his curiosity and confusion she pointed out the following. "first of all….. protection… second….. my room comes with a private shower….." she whispered in Richards ear, now trying his hardest not to reach an early release, with a small nod he followed her to her room, while on the way Korina for a humorous effect has decided it would be funny to lead Richard to her room by holding gently his erect cock, understanding what she did, he gently grabbed her hand with his own signaling that she should save the goofing around for a while later, making her in turn having a genuine laugh in quite a while, the walk to her room was quiet and relaxing at first but as they finally reached Korina's room they couldn't maintain the relaxed environment for long because both had the exact same thought at exactly the same time

'god/X'hal… I hope I won't prove too much of a disappointment…..'

As both of them entered the room, Richard offered that Korina should step first into the shower while he in the meantime stripped his clothes off remaining in a pair of underwear, looking for 'protection' while the inevitable thought came to his head.

'how come I didn't get a room with a shower?…'

Richard with a nervous and shaky/ excited disposition tried to lay and relax on the bed, however he didn't manage to do that, not to mention he felt his underwear was unusually tight, so he decided to remove them as well hoping he could relax a bit more so with a bit of fiddling he removed his last piece of clothing, now ready to relax and as his luck would have it Korina/Starfire came out of the shower wearing nothing but her head towel.

Eyeing her head to toe while still maintaining some semblance of a regular heartbeat Richard simply remarked. "are you sure that's wise?… I wouldn't want you to catch a cold or anything else for that matter…." Korina at this point moved closer to him, pinning him down forcefully yet without actually causing pain or serious harm.

"oh that's too bad… for a moment I thought I caught one magnificent specimen of a young man….." at this point and time both warmly smiled at each other before she again captured her lips with his while slowly grinding her body up and down with his, which at this point Richard managed to free his right arm and searched around the bed for condoms. Seeing this Korina reached her arm under the pillow and produced the item Richard was looking for, not before teasing him of course.

"now now… before we reach the fun part….. I think a little foreplay is in order….."

That surprised Richard but he chose to mask it with a clever comment. "wait a minute….. haven't we started that already….." Korina could only laugh at that remark while positioning herself to a 69 pose, now both situated Richard started licking Korina's pussy while she in turn gently and kinda awkwardly started sucking his cock, although due to his rep of being an over thinker, he couldn't wrap his mind on one thought.

'quick reminder….. ask her where and when she learned about all this stuff….'

After a few minutes of foreplay and a few more moments of awkward fiddling with the condom, courtesy of Richard, both teens were lying on each other while Richard was on top of her, slowly but surely he slowly penetrated her while she would indicate on what's a good pace for her, while she averted her gaze to the ceiling to ignore the pain and he would close his eyes trying with all his might not to get overstimulated and ejaculate early. As they began moving in synche with each other Korina tried to establish dominance at some point and turned around winding up on top of Richard, he in turn began to feel more comfortable and daring in his position so he turned her over to the side into a spooning pose, making Korina's moans even more audible in the process for another few good minutes until both of them came at the same time.

For a long time coming Richard could feel himself truly relaxing being by Starfire's/Korina's side for a while however for those who really know him could always point out that he would never let his mind get complacent, his mind was currently working out a plan on taking Brother Blood once and for all, a task that proved difficult at the moment due to the fact that memories and thoughts of his beloved Starfire came flooding in, old and new alike.

'did I really need THIS….?… right here?….. right now?' Richard began to tense up but before he could do any further he felt his bed mate shift over in her place embracing him with her arms while she snuggled close to his chest. All he could do in return is to kiss her affectionately on her forehead.

"what is wrong….? you seem on edge…"

Richard pleasantly surprised gave her a questioning look that said. 'how did you come to that conclusion?' while she in return read his face like an open book opting to answer the following.

"i have known you for quite some time….. you construct an image and a facade of a cold and calculating man, however deep inside you're a nervous and caring….." Richard took the time to listen to her reply carefully and with scrutiny before giving her an answer while sighing.

"well it's nothing much really….. it's just I'll feel more relaxed once I'll figure out how to stop Sebastian Blood once and for all….. well it's not just that….. I wish I knew how to win yours and the team's trust again…" Starfire gave him a small look that said 'I already forgave you…..' but right at that moment her stomach began to grumble.

"if you insist and persist on making it up to me… and regain my trust, a small meal would be a great place to start with…." she said with mirth in her voice, gaining a smirk of his own he simply said while dressing up.

"as you wish….. my lady"

While on his way to make a meal for his lover a thought had occurred to him.

'wait a minute…. image… gain his trust….. that's it, the only surefire way to take down Brother Blood was to gain his trust and expose him for the fraud he really his…. but now how exactly…..?'

'if someone was gonna ask me what's the best thing about being Cyborg?… I would answer….. playing and listening to my favorite hit songs without those damn earphones in the way… now seriously though….. making it easier to move on without heartbreak getting you down…. then again you don't have to be a Cyborg to do that….. just making it easier I guess…..'

Cyborg/Victor Vic Lance was currently wondering around Brother Blood's compound bored out of his skull, he was about to pass an archway into the kitchen area thinking food will distract him when he bumped into Richard caring a platter full for two. Looking at the guy in front of him he saw he had a lot on his mind, so he beat him to the punch.

"don't bother man….. apologies don't mean much than actions anyway….. besides why look back when you have to move forward….." Vic said it more like a statement than a question. Richard in turn listened and began to smirk.

"did I say I had any intention of doing less…?" hearing that made Vic smile and laugh lightly at the comeback, now recognizing the young man he began knowing a few years ago.

"debriefing in my room later this evening….. don't be late….."

Cyborg only nodded in affirmation while, gaining a mischievous grin at the process making Richard quirk an eye in puzzlement while his now longtime friend just mouthed the words 'paper thin walls'. Richard being a sharp minded guy understood exactly where his friend was going with this, side stepping Vic he tried hiding his embarrassment with an awkward giggle while he now left the older teen trying to suppress himself from laughing his ass off.

'three reminders, one, check that the tower his sound proof, two, find a way to get back at Cyborg for this, Three, rope in Beast boy into it for good measure….'

With that he made his way back into Korina's room with the food tray in toe, trying his best to remember all the serving tips Alfred has been drilling into him from his times in Wayne manor.

Later on that night all of the titans working undercover on the scene regrouped in Richard's room to plot the downfall of Brother Blood, and after making sure no one was listening or spying on them, using Cyborg's tech and Beast boy's keen and sharp senses. Richard began laying all the details of his plan with of course with fine tuning it courtesy of his friends and team taking as much time of the night to go over each detail and each potential complications not leaving anything to chance.

Brother Blood's church, near the main gates two days after.

Brother Blood was returning from a 'mass' with his followers, walking on by the main gates while seeing the new recruits Victor Lance and Logan Marks discussing with Mr. Richards from their car, getting ready to leave, now on the surface Brother Blood did allow a policy of 'open borders' to his church, trying to evade suspicious and prying eyes, however it would be a gross lie to state that such a policy didn't arouse Brother Blood's suspicion and paranoia.

"Mr. Richards a word if you please…..?" Brother Blood said with an eerie and calm tone to which Mr. Richards could only respond with.

"something on your mind my lord…..?" Mr. Richards asked with all the sincerity he could muster in his voice, trying to bait him without Brother Blood being the wiser, so the conversation continued.

"is there a reason for Mr. Lance and Mr. Mark's early leave of absence?" gauging on how to continue next without tipping his hand Mr. Richards simply replied.

"well considering how they were impressed with our hospitality… they said they wanted to pursue an even more 'aggressive' recruiting campaign, using their clout and influence as celebrities….."

Brother Blood dismissed Mr. Richards on his way before heading towards the steeples giving the impression of a pleased individual, yet on the inside he was beginning to distrust him so he contacted Mother Mayhem over on a two way radio, giving her and her team instructions to stop investigating Mr. Richards and focus on their latest new followers, adding the following stipulation.

"when you do learn who they really are….. do not kill them just yet….. I wish to make a spectacle out of their execution…."

At that point in time Brother Blood began to feel physical weakness and fatigue, so he opted to return to his steeples for a much needed rest. A full day has past since his suspicions has risen, however they didn't show sign of fading, one of his many acolytes reported back to him stating that the back stories provided by the new blood checked out to the letter. Brother blood's anger turned into wrath so withing the last moments where his sanity was still present he quickly dismissed the acolyte, said acolyte didn't waste time fleeing, as in a stroke of good fortune Mother Mayhem entered the room, seeing Brother Blood in such a disposition she suggested she'd prepare a warm bath for him, to which he swiftly approved while trying calming down.

Deep inside within Brother Blood's church, a while later.

Brother Blood true to his name was currently engaged in perhaps one of his most important of ceremonies, bathing and sipping the blood of the acolytes who has recently failed him, from a chalice placed near by while nude women/ slaves were more than eager to serve him from head to toe. After a while a knock was heard on the door followed by Mr. Richards.

"you wished to see me my lord…?" Brother Blood kept a stoic expression on his face enjoying his bath until he slowly opened them and replied by an eerily calm voice.

"tell me, Mr. Richards… do you believe our newly recruited believers are trustworthy….?" Mr. Richards didn't hesitate to give a response. "of course my lord… what would make you doubt their intentions…?".

"nothing really…. I haven't seen them or heard from them in a while…. besides I've got already a puppet under my control who handles publicity and public relations… Bethany Snow… I trust you heard of her…..". Mr. Richards only gave a nod of acknowledgement and then continued with a shake of dismay.

"i was afraid it was true my lord….. she got to you with her lies as well….."

Brother Blood could only laugh deeply with surprise lacing his voice before replying back with a grave tone. "please Mr. Richards….. explain yourself….. what do you mean lies?"

"well my lord, it's very simple… she's driven by agenda…. which means as long as both of your goals are aligned with each others she won't throw you under the bus to save her own skin…. but I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that….." Mr. Richards said mustering every bit of charm he has to convince him, without being too obvious or too on the nose. Brother Blood regarded him with great interest, listening carefully and studying Mr. Richard's face to make sure he was being sincere and when he was sure that his subordinate had nothing to hide he proceeded.

"and I suppose you are in contact with another more reliable reporter then Ms. Snow…" Brother Blood took the bait and now Mr. Richards was reeling him in.

"well not me personally, but I can make a few phone calls….. with your permission of course….."

Brother Blood waved him off giving him a silent permission to do as he sees fit while also to leave him alone, with that Mr. Richards/Richard left the room towards the living quarters bumping into Korina on the way, and just to make sure no one was listening on the behalf of Brother Blood he gave her a french kiss directly on the lips for a little while before saying in between.

"first of….. stage one is a success….. proceed with stage two, second….. sorry Star… I had to think of something just to make it less suspicious…."

Korina/Starfire gave him a huge grin in return silently saying. 'well I'm not sorry about it…..' giving him an extra playful wink to ease his conscious, to which all he could do was whole heatedly laugh before continuing to his room.

Brother Blood's living compound, Richard's room.

Once he was there and made sure the coast was clear, he took out a hidden communicator provided to him by Cyborg and called Vic and Logan who were supposed to be out of town but actually where still close by to the compound, just hidden out of sight.

"patch me threw to Kid Flash… stage two is well under way….." a quick dial tone was playing before Kid Flash answered the call.

"hey there good buddy… how have you been, what have you been doing lately and who've you been doing….?" the questions came in quick succession with no room to breath in between, however it was nothing new to Richard.

"so and so… the usual… and non of your damn business…. now are you ready to continue with stage 02 of the plan?, or do you want a written invitation…." Richard asked sarcastically, to which Kid Flash answered with fake innocence.

"actually…. if you can send it via telegram….. that would be really nice, thanks Ricky….."

Richard at this point just sighed in defeat and frustration, the one thing he didn't miss about his friends was the constant jabs and unnecessary teasing, yet again he had to appreciate it since it always kept him level headed, not to mention somewhat normal for a guy with his background.

In the following days to come everything were in order in the church, Brother Blood kept to his rituals and 'guiding' his young flock of 'sheep' while occasionally Korina Vic and Logan were feinting interest so that Richard could continue gathering incriminating evidence on Brother Blood and keeping an even closer eye on his second in command, Mother Mayhem, who proved in turn more suspicious than her master was letting on.

Brother Blood's steeples, a few days later, early afternoon.

Mother Mayhem was pacing rather nervously in Brother Blood's office while he in turn remained in his seat by the windows calm and collected, precisely why she paced in a nervous manner.

"please tell me that you're taking precautions about those young men and woman…. I hate to needlessly point out the obvious….. but there is something untrustworthy about that group"

Sebastian Blood in turn just grinned maliciously while he calmed her down. "don't threat beloved… I knew what they were up to from the moment Mr. Richards tried to convince me not to trust that air headed reporter Ms. Snow….. it's just a matter of patience and cunning….. eventually they will make a fatal flaw… and a final one."

The rest of the afternoon went by relatively quiet with Richard/Mr. Richards giving an update to Brother Blood about the reporter coming in the next day in the early afternoon for a short expose on the church, Brother Blood of course approved the news and sent him on his way.

Outside the gates of Brother Blood's church, half passed early noon.

Richard was waiting for the reporter, which in fact was non other than Kid Flash in his undercover identity, Rudolph 'Rudy' Walls, which at this point and time if he would continue aggravating Richard, he would become the late Rudolph 'Rudy' Walls. Just as that line of thought was completed Richard saw a red Ferrari Daytona with yellow side skirts and golden rims racing down the road towards the entrance, "I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls was blasting from the car's radio, before skidding to a complete stop, out of the car stepped out a young man with a red mane dressed in a red and yellow floral shirt, striking blue jeans and an old school camera hanging on a strap around his neck.

"what the hell is that…..?" Richard asked not the least bit amused, the red head in return sported a shit eating grin and simply replied.

"a car….. you know steering wheel, four wheels, A.C, CD player….. you know the works…."

"i can see that hot shot… ever heard of subtlety… or you flew by passed it while reaching 120 MPH…..?" Richard said trying his best not to lose his patience with, for all tense and purposes, his best friend, said friend was now trying his best not to burst out laughing.

"the touching reunion would have to wait buddy… we have business to tend to…." Rudy said in a rare instance of complete focus, Richard now feeling more relaxed agreed whole heatedly, Kid Flash however being Kid Flash had to add a smart comment. "besides if we finish early we could roam the premises and find dates for Friday nights." Richard cracked a smile while asking.

"aren't you a one girl type of guy…..?"

"oh yeah of course I am….. one girl for every week day… two for the weekends, and three for holidays….." Rudy said absentmindedly while snapping shots of the church and the compound in general.

Kid Flash as his assumed alter ego Rudy was putting overzealous people to shame with how much investment he put into his temporary role, you name it he's doing it, taking snapshots of both the outdoors and indoors of the church, taking notes about every design elements of the structure itself, whether if it's decorated with gargoyle statues or cherubs, even going as far as trying to get the other acolytes to talk or simply give a statement. However in his complete focus he failed to notice Brother Blood sneaking up behind him.

"may I help you with something young sir….." Brother Blood asked politely, but with an unmistakable tone of dominance in his voice. Rudy got startled for a moment while giving the man a confident smile while he introduced himself.

"hi the name is Rudolph Walls, or Rudy to my friends, but judging by your omnipresent baritone speaking voice, you can just call me Mr. Walls for now….."

Richard observing carefully on the exchange between the two, had taken the initiative and took off deeper into the compound to search and snoop around in the hopes to find incriminating documents on his 'employer' or anything he can use to his favor.

'now if I am sure about Brother Blood's overinflated ego, what's the best place to hide blackmail material….. let's see, he likes to control people and treat them like insects, so best vantage point to observe them is from above….. the steeples…..'

With that Richard pulled out his communicator and contacted Vic, Korina and Logan. All of them answered at once after a few moments with Richard now addressing them individually.

"Vic, I'm heading towards the steeples, make sure you're already there hidden out of sight, ready to record and capture video on a short notice….."

"Korina….. head there as well….. make sure that after I leave the room that you'd break into it and create as much as chaos as possible to mask my intrusion, just in case Brother Blood would suspect a foul play…."

"Logan….. make sure to distract Brother Blood with Rudy for as long as possible, so I can work my magic with little to no interruptions…. get it?" Logan jokingly responded with.

"doubt it…." Richard in a serious but smart tone just quipped.

"good….."

Richard made it to the steeples in record time considering he had to tread lightly not to encounter one of Brother Blood's many devoted spies or a clever and deadly booby trap/alarm system. Entering the office he quickly made it to the office and started searching for file cabinets or just files laying around in general, unfortunately not everything in life is that general, so next he tried to find an office computer, and considering it was an old fashioned office designed to look like an old study plucked out of a detective novel, well it only resulted in pissing him off something fierce.

'great… is it too much to ask from villains to leave a sign….. here's what your looking for….. get your shit and get out….'

Richard approached the chair near the desk to try and relax himself so he could think more clearly and quickly, he sat down on the chair about to rest his feet on the desk until he saw a small outline in between the surface of the desk, so he applied a little pressure which in turn popped a computer screen and a keyboard with a touch pad.

'seriously…. no mouse cursor…? how cheap is this motherfucker…?… never mind.'

Richard without further complaining started typing on the computer trying every sequences of keystrokes to hack the password, a few moments go by and he finally gets access, once inside Brother Blood's office computer he starts combing through the files, p.s not to be taken literally, but after a few minutes passing and more than a few files already skimmed over Richard saw that those are all of Brother Blood's financial statements.

' great….. maybe we can get him on tax evasion…..' Richard thought sarcastically before contacting the rest of his team. "change in plans Titans…. one of you will have to help Beast boy stall for more time….. preliminary search yielded no results…. I'll have to look deeper into it… Richard out…"

A few seconds later Korina responded saying she would help Logan while Vic can stay behind and help Richard with the search. He stood up from the computer and approached the collection of books on the self, examining them. 'is it really that obvious' Richard thought.

Not having the luxury of thinking for too long Richard gave a good sweep of the library looking for any sort of switch, to what he wasn't sure just yet, he just knew it would have to be a secret only reserved to Brother Blood himself, or the closest people to him, entourage per say, once he found a switch the bookshelves in front of him opened up inwards to reveal a hidden room, which on the surface level appeared to be clean as though it was brand new.

Finding it Richard did the only sensible thing he could think of. Taking out his communicator he contacted Cyborg. "hey Vic can you get up here man…..? I think I've hit the jackpot, he didn't have to wait for a response because in a matter of seconds Cyborg was standing by his side.

"tell me can you scan the room with UV lights…..? I think someone trying to hide something….." Vic gave his friend a quizzical look as if to say. 'really?….. what's making you say that….' to which Richard replied back.

"first this room looks and feels like a coroner's office… which coincidentally my nose's getting assaulted with a very strong smell of bleach…"

Having no reason to doubt his friend this time, Vic now transforming himself back to Cyborg again began scanning and analyzing the room. After a few moments of silence Cyborg spoke up. "you were right… it's multiple types of blood over here." Richard in turn wasn't surprised or appalled by the discovery, no doubt having gotten used to horrific revelations and implications there of.

"make sure to catalog every blood sample….. and try checking if you can hack those computers…. please."

"sure do miss daisy…." Cyborg said jokingly but not before handing a small device to Richard. Richard in turn gave him a puzzled look asking what was that about, to which Cyborg explained.

"it's a tracker/ bug… if we don't find incriminating evidence against Brother Blood, we would have to pray his massive sense of ego will be his downfall, at that moment Richard's communicator rang again revealing Logan.

"guys… we need back up….. Rudy is running out of ways to keep Brother Blood distracted…"

Both Vic and Richard hearing this they turn to each other thinking about the same thing, and after Cyborg made sure to get the results of his scan backed up, he reached for his hollow ring but Richard stopped him.

"we need Cyborg a lot more than we need Vic right now… also go around the back of the place to avoid arousing suspicion…" Cyborg nodded as they both left, Richard by staircase and Cyborg by jumping out of the window, catching a ride with Starfire, Richard rolled his eyes at the display of subtlety.

The church of Brother Blood, with Sebastian Blood and Rudy Walls.

Rudy Walls A.K.A Kid Flash at this point was trying his best to keep Brother Blood distracted while his fellow Titans currently present on his premises, could do their best to carry out their mission, so he did what Kid Flash usually does better than anyone else, talk his opponent to death, giving no room of escape to his opposition, all in the guise of a nosy journalist.

"Mr. Walls with all due respect I must end this conversation short due to my busy schedule….. I hope you have enough information to write an informative piece to….. if I'm not mistaken to the Central City Gazette?….."

Rudy keeping in character has now found a perfect way to deliver the knockout of all followup questions, and he didn't hesitate to take it. "normally yes…. this time however it's going to spread nationally, so I'll need you to answer a couple more questions….. first as I understand it, it is more than just a cult, it is a well respected community correct?, so the question remains what's your end game in all of this….. what motivates Sebastian Blood?"

Intrigued by how the young man phrased the question Brother Blood decided to indulge him with an equal answer, before carrying out his plan for the nosy guest.

"well I'd like to thank you for recognizing the distinction between those terms….. so few so called journalists actually get those right….. now do you know what made empires such as the Romans powerful to begin with…. it was not by the size of the strength of it's army or it's span on the then known world….. it was the legacy they left behind and impact on culture itself as we know it… I want the basic thing actually… I want my legacy and name to leave the same kind of impact, even if I won't live to see it…."

Logan/Beast boy was listening intently to Brother Blood's little monologue moment trying his best to keep himself occupied since none of the people at the church were friendly or responsive for that matter while also fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the haminess of it all, however at this precise point in time he saw Richard straightening himself while heading towards Brother Blood.

"may I be of any service my liege…..?" Richard asked in a pleasant, almost welcoming tone but still carried a hidden edge to it that Brother Blood picked up on right away, that being said he did not let on just yet, so he politely refused the help from Mr. Richards.

"i admire your diligence, but at the moment I must find Mother Mayhem… it appears we have a vermin infestation on the church grounds…"

With that Brother Blood left to tend to his business while the rest of the Titans left unattended, a few more moments have passed before Richard spoke up.

"any luck with getting him to open up…..?" Richard asked Kid Flash, to which he replied with. "no such luck….. not unless you count an overinflated opinion of himself as a criminal act…..". Richard was about to reply back but he noticed Beast boy acting strange, well stranger than usual, as he was currently sniffing the air around them in no particular direction.

"mind telling us what you're up to….?" both Richard and Kid Flash asked at the same time. However Beast boy kept sniffing while he gave a faint absentminded reply to both.

"just a funny feeling is all….. you know like something smells to high heaven…." but before he could finish that sentence and thought, Beast boy took another whiff…. finding out it's knock out gas. At that everyone in the room tried desperately to stay balanced but ultimately lost consciousness, while Kid Flash's hand started phasing/vibrating. In the meantime Brother Blood was currently busy with setting explosive charges at the base of the compound.

Back with the Titans Kid Flash was struggling to keep himself alert and awake but as a hail merry attempt he managed to clear enough of the toxic gas with one of his signature moves, a whirlwind tornado, now however he needed a moment to properly catch his breath.

Outside Vic/cyborg was anticipating one of his friends to show up, maybe to salvage the operation from going south, that however was not what he witnessed, instead he witnessed Mother Mayhem driving up to the front of the church in a crimson 1960 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, waiting without a doubt for Brother Blood. Intrigued and worried he decided on hiding close by to the church while secretly using his cybernetic ears to eavesdrop on the woman in question, as Brother Blood entered the vehicle.

"i trust our infestation problem is taken care of….." Mother Mayhem said with an obvious euphemism in her tone of speech, Brother Blood just replied with. "drive we don't have time to delay….. unless you want to get caught in the debris when our former church collapses….." after hearing this it prompted her to ask.

"and our devoted followers…..?", brother Blood only smirked at that comment just as they were driving next to the hidden Cyborg. "as long as they serve their purpose….. we can afford a few martyrs my dear….."

Cyborg having heard the entire exchange contacted Starfire quickly. "Star wherever you are right now….. you need to haul ass, Brother Blood as rigged the entire building to collapse….. save Rob and the others while I'll try to disarm the bomb and rescue any stragglers on the property….."

Starfire's only response was "consider it done…."

As soon as she was done talking Starfire flew/raced from her position near the top of the steeples towards the main entrance, leaving in her wake a trail of flames and energy as she passed the entrance and went deeper into the building until she encountered her friends, seeing that Kid Flash is okay she addressed him first.

"wally, I'm afraid our primary mission has failed….. however we are in great danger….. the building his about to collapse and Cyborg could use your speed to evacuate any innocents that could get hurt by the aftermath…."

Without her needing to say another word he quickly nodded in agreement while he in turn tapped the speed force and leave a trail of his own as he began running searching for potential rescue's, while Starfire used her strength to carry both Beast Boy and Richard on each of her shoulders.

Kid Flash ran as fast as he could evacuating the mindless 'worshipers' Brother Blood left behind in his tactical retreat, although Kid Flash couldn't worry at all about this Brother Blood character. Spreading around the compound in a matter of a few minutes Kid Flash saved as many people as humanly possible disregarding super speed for a moment, and after he made sure the survivors were as far from the church as possible he double timed it, now searching from top to bottom yet again for Cyborg, reaching the basement level he found said cybernetic teen trying to defuse a detonator strategically placed at the base of the structure's main support beam.

"yo Vic, how much time do we have before demolition time… do you think there's enough time for another lap around the building….."

Cyborg didn't have the time and luxury to stop what he was doing so he didn't much as grunt, let along make a peep, Kid Flash not waiting for a written invitation raced over to Vic's right shoulder to inspect how bad the situation was himself, he mentally kicked himself for doing that since he saw the timer was now at 20 seconds and counting, Kid Flash on instinct tried to convince Cyborg to evacuate but the stuborn teen just ignored him and with every failed attempt at disarming the bomb, a few more seconds got wasted, giving the impression that the timer sped up as penalty. Having no other choice Kid Flash knocked Cyborg unconscious, and without mincing words just slung him on his shoulder and sprinted with double the momentum out of the condemned building.

Making it just in the nick of time, Kid Flash set Cyborg near Starfire Richard and Beast boy, "listen Star….. if Cyborg wakes up….. could you persuade him not to punch my nose just yet… in the meantime I'll go take another look around, trying to look for survivors….. or worse still victims…." Kid Flash said remorsefully and without any hints of humor or his trademark sarcasm.

Racing off yet again, he returned after a few seconds deflated. "one didn't make it… there are a few more others with minor to severe injuries… the others I saved are still shell shocked by the whole ordeal….."

Starfire gave him a firm nod of understanding, yet filled with compassion and pride, she instructed him wordlessly to contact the local emergency response while she contacted Titan's Tower so Raven could assist her with healing the rest of the team, with a blink of an eye Kid Flash started doing his part yet again.

A few moments have passed since Kid Flash contacted the first response team, in the meantime Raven has arrived via the Titan's very own T jet with Wonder Girl tagging along, Kid Flash instead of making a smart comment he watched silently as Raven started healing the less critically injured working her way to Richard, Cyborg and Beast boy, in the meantime Wonder Girl/Donna Troy made her way towards him.

Without warning or even a word she slapped him playfully at the back of his head, silently berating him, 'you did good dammit get over yourself' Kid Flash only silently laughed as he worded the words 'thanks' as he started darting again around the compound trying to find the Daytona he came in, figuring some of his friends wouldn't be up for a flight, plus he rented the car and the rent wasn't cheap. Then a thought came to him, a fact he didn't consider.

'oh Christ, almost forgot… only one passenger seat….. goddammit'

As Kid Flash has found the car, he decided to drive it back, giving him plenty of time to come up with logistics.

On the road to Jump City, with Kid Flash, Cyborg and Beast boy.

Kid Flash was now cruising on the interstate between Buzzsaw towards Jump City in silence while Cyborg and Beast boy were closing their eyes and relaxing, Kid Flash turned on the radio making sure the audio level was low to make the trip more subdue and pleasant, the song that was currently playing was Scandal - The Warrior making Wally West smile a little.

"your favorite man…..?" Cyborg asked while his eyes still closed, Beast boy didn't comment being busy taking a cat nap near Cyborgs feet. Kid Flash whispered silently in return. "not really… I just like the beat of it…..". Wally kept on driving silently for a few more moments.

"sorry…." Cyborg gave a surprised look asking silently 'for what….' giving leeway for Wally to clarify.

"mainly for knocking you out….. you know….. probably caused you a bitching migraine…" Cyborg started smiling back while replying.

"nothing to it… I should make sure your hand didn't get swollen in the process….."

As the Titans made their way home by car and jet they passed an almost desolate neighborhood in Jump City, an almost rundown neighborhood, neglected in favor of progress over restoration or preservation, and while the entire block was covered in pitch darkness, one apartment window showed sign of life.

An unknown apartment in Jump City, late evening.

From withing that window it is shown that a young petite woman was living there, and while most people would call it quits in the late evening, she treated it like it was early morning, said woman was blonde, athletic yet somehow underdeveloped, making an impression that a roughly 15 year old girl was living in the apartment completely on her own, however, it gets even stranger from there.

The apartment itself looked like it had no real sense of interior design, opting for garishly colored walls, furnished with furniture which were too big to fit in a two bedroom apartment, decorations ran from kitsch to simply distasteful in any means of the word and stranger still the furniture itself, while collecting dust, was seemed generally untouched and unused.

Crossing her bedroom towards the kitchen was the same young woman starving for food, her appearance was disheveled, not to mention that the top part of her pajamas was completely non existent, effectively leaving nothing to the imagination, the woman crossed the living room unfazed while 'loosing' the bottom part as well until she made it to the kitchen, and contrary to the rest of her apartment, the kitchen should be considered a war zone, complete with a primitive to barely working refrigerator, broken pieces of china collected in a pile on the kitchen table, unhinged and uneven cupboards and drawers, and dirty dishes piling up the sink, dirty to the brim with enough bacteria to start a biological warfare.

Unfazed by the mess she started rummaging in the kitchen trying to find something to eat, she eventually settled on a stale bag of chips, originally supposed to be picante flavored and an old schooled bottle of cola, the glass kind, absentmindedly she thought to herself.

'wonder what's on TV… let's hope it's something good for a change….. oh small reminder check if I still got any change…..'

As the young blonde plopped herself ungracefully on the couch she searched the remote for the TV, after searching it for a bit, she turned on the set to come across a commercial for a hot dog brand that went like this.

A camera was panning diagonally from the thighs of a well known model/media personality all the way through a well endowed bust towards her sensual lips when she's swallowing a whole hot dog in one go, all the while a sultry narration followed the imagery.

'the wunder creamer… if you're not shoving it down your throat….. you ain't doing it any service…'

'subtle…..' the young woman thought while changing the channel before risking busting out with laughter, risking pissing on the couch in the process. Surfing to another channel she caught a glimpse of Bethany Snow's late night show/ entertainment news and immediately skipped to another channel, any channel really just not to listen to the insufferable bitch that she was disguised as 'professionalism' which led her smack right in the middle of an X-rated show on one of the adult channel, which made her thing.

'the wonders of cable TV…..'

Deciding to make herself more comfortable since nothing was really on anyway, she tried slowly but surely to caress herself, key word here was trying, since a few seconds after her home line phone started to ring, a little surprised, she decided to ignore it until it got quiet again, a few minutes later she tried to get in the mood again but the phone wouldn't later so she repeated her actions, after a few seconds after the ringtone died out she tried to relax again, however, at the exact same moment when she loosened her tense shoulders the phone rang for the third time. Now completely pissed off she answered the phone not bothering to hide her displeasure.

"what….?" she practically yelled into the phone.

"Tara Markov, you've been activated… now get to work, no time to waste…."

Without a chance for her to retaliate, the conversation got cut off, leaving the blonde frustrated in more meanings than just one.

The blonde, now identified as Tara Markov, now left the living room in search for her uniform and some outdoor clothing, cursing and muttering like an angry sailor. Well at least she could take comfort in the fact that her boss/handler and on rare occasions 'mentor' didn't catch her with her pants down, or at least so she hoped, which made her curse louder in deeper frustration rather than anger.

On the outskirts of the city, Jump city cemetery, close to midnight.

On an unusual quiet evening in the cemetery near Jump City, stood the mysterious caller who contacted Tara Markov, the figure held fresh lilies while visiting one particular gravestone, one that belonged to an individual named Grant Wilson followed by a brief description, 'beloved son, tortured soul'. the mysterious man laid the flowers on the grave stone, obscuring the deceased date of birth and death. The man now identified as none other than Slade Joseph Wilson sat down on the grass pathway near his son's resting place and started breathing deeply before whispering silently.

'son….. if by any chance you're hearing me, this is not a simple apology….. this is a reaffirmation on a promise I made on your deathbed….. I started moving the pieces into place….. soon I'll finish what you've started a while ago, finally giving you the chance to truly rest easily….. anything less would be unacceptable….'

Slade got up and started dusting himself off when he faintly made out the noise of an old sedan, an American made judging by the noise. He didn't made a deal about it until he heard faint footsteps made by Italian dress shoes making their way across the cemetery behind him, again he would've ignored it but since he detected the faint sound of a clip being loaded into a gun and the distinct sound of a side arm cocking, made him change his mindset.

Now in the mindset of Death-stroke the terminator Slade Wilson waited for his assailant to get as close as possible and at the very last second, he made a graceful back flip, setting himself behind his would be attacker and without further warning he snapped the victim's neck with ease, said victim was now identified as an underling withing the H.I.V.E organization, not sparing another moment Slade made his way towards the exit, passing the graveyard's caretaker.

"evening, there's a man late to his own funeral….. I trust you to care for him appropriately…"

As Slade Wilson exited the cemetery he went towards his chosen car of today, a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am but instead of getting in it he opted to lean on it, fiddling around for smokes while he occasionally checked his wrist watch, as though he was waiting for something to happen or someone to pass through. About 30 minutes has passed before he noticed above him, in the sky, a blonde looking teenage girl gliding on what appeared to be a boulder, to most people that would be a mind fuck moment, then again Slade Wilson can be hardly considered as 'most people' so instead he continued smoking his current cigarette as he got into his car and drove away, while Thin Lizzie - Jailbreak was currently playing on the radio.

Titan's tower, early hours of the morning, 02:00 am

Richard came back to the tower late at night after letting everyone know he had a long overdue sit down with the higher ups within Jump's PD, not to mention the D.A office, no one on the team gave him a hard time about it, they just wanted to catch up properly, but since this meeting was about clearing their slate clean with the local authorities it had to take precedence. The meeting went better than it could be hoped to with the police offering an olive branch on the condition that the incident with Adonis and his crew won't develop into a nasty new habit and that the proper channels would be kept in the loop more frequently.

Richard traversed the tower quietly as possible towards his room through the living room in complete darkness until he heard a small clicking noise coming from a nearby lamp, he turned to see Kory'andr/Starfire waiting for him with a small giddy expression on her face, without a single word he ran towards and trying to kiss her, however the alarm started blaring, making him mutter in anger.

"figures I'll be back for five minutes and the shit hits the fans…"

Starfire disappointed as well simply stated. "it's quite alright… you catch up on some much needed rest, while protecting the stronghold… the rest of us will deal with this emergency." Richard pleasantly surprised at how Starfire sounded like a natural born leader simply stated.

"i don't deserve you….."

"i know…." Starfire shot back with a humorous tone.

The team soon arrived into ops room and after a quick scan it has been revealed that it was a small scale earthquake, too small to happen naturally, originating from the nearby correctional facility, a few miles from the city limits. Not wasting anytime Starfire gave the Titan's war cry and most of them leaped into battle with Beast boy, Raven, Wonder Girl and Cyborg taking the T car while Starfire took to the sky and Kid Flash hit the ground running, while Richard stayed behind on comm.

'better make coffee…..'

Jump City's correctional facility, half an hour later, the east side wall.

As the Titans arrived on the scene of the crime, Beast boy leaped head first now arriving next to the destroyed wall, openning his mouth to say something, his comm link beeped in his ear before Richard's voice could be heard.

'don't even think about it Gar…'

Miffed at this Beast boy sarcastically commented back. "just what I needed….. a dick in my ear…." at this point Kid Flash already caught up to the conversation and added his two cents.

"all the way down to his balls….." now barely keeping his shit eating grin in check, knowing that Dicky is probably being patient right now, keeping himself in check, waiting for an opening to talk again, however at this point Cyborg chimed in.

"guys c'mon, you know it's not like that….. since it's most likely Beast boy's first time, he'll do it softly and all gentle like….." now at this point Kid Flash lost it completely, cracking up and finding it hard to breathe while Beast boy was visibly pissed and Cyborg scanning the scene, letting loose on occasion a stifled laugh. A few moments pass before Raven walks over and slaps Beast boy, Cyborg and Kid Flash across their necks with her powers.

"focus, we're splitting into two teams….. the first team, me, Wonder Girl and Starfire will track down any escapees, while the rest of you try to track down whoever is responsible for this….. do I make myself clear?….."

Raven was met with silence from the boys in question, while Richard contacted her via comm link to say the following.

'thanks.'

With that said and done both Titan teams have split up with Starfire leading one team after the escaped convicts and the other ,surprisingly lead by Beast boy, were hot on the trail of the wiseguy who decided to stage the breakout at the first place.

Within a few good minutes passing and a few miles down the road Beast boy now assuming the form of a basset hound was now trying to fixate his nose on scents that shouldn't be there, while cyborg trying to calibrate his cybernetics to pin point any trace of a heart beat and Kid Flash was busy scurrying around trying to locate the suspect the old fashioned way. At a moment's notice Beast boy came to a complete stop and abruptly turned back to his human form.

"i got a scent….. whoever was here….. he or she is close by…", Cyborg currently not picking anything on his instruments on the moment and Kid Flash being both sarcastic and thorough asked bluntly.

"how can you be sure….. and who said it can't be a 'it'…..?", not phased by the skepticism Beast boy simply replied back. "it's the scent of cheap perfume….. the kind shopping malls sell to teens….. and before you ask, I know because the smell burns in my nose like a motherfucker….. goddam…."

After hearing that Kid Flash and Cyborg tried taking a whiff of the air to try and determine if Beast Boy's explanation holds up before suddenly hearing a voice that didn't belong to neither of them.

"hey asshole….. do you mind keeping your insults to yourself?, 150 a bottle ain't cheap you know….."

All of them turned around to see either a boy or a girl in a brown and yellow spandex wearing a brown domino mask, to their credit out of basic courtesy it would be too awkward to ask, plus it's pitch black outside, however Beast boy got closer and closer, inspecting the virtual stranger up and down before out of nowhere he extended his arm for a hug, the stranger in return moved forward and returned his hug saying.

"it's been a long time green boy…"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 06: in the eye of the beholder.

'my name….. Tara Markov… to most I'm one of the three legitimate heirs to a little and unassuming kingdom Markovia. Wedged somewhere in eastern Europe….. to very few I'm the daughter birthed out of the king's favorite whore….. well it doesn't matter to me what you do or think…. I'll make damn sure you won't be able to forget me…'

In a remote village in eastern Europe, on a particularly snowy day, a small and frail blonde girl at about the age of 8 was currently running for her life while three armed men were chasing after her armed with a variety of sidearms with the intent to kill her, the cause? So far, yet to be determined, to be honest, a reason isn't that important when bullets whizzing by your ears and scraping your skin, exposing it to the cold.

The young girl kept on pushing and running, trying to escape her pursuers through the village's streets, occasionally for long enough to notice details about her attackers, one of them being a well maintained and trained soldier, and by the uniform, he appears to be a soldier in the Markovian army, carrying a H&K MP5 sub machine gun to further provide proof, the other two respectively were local villagers who either joined the army man because either he pays them handsomely or strong arming to continue the pursuit, on the soldiers left, the man by all accounts was a local drunk, probably ex military himself since he handled a 9mm Browning Hi-Power handgun expertly, even under the influence, and to the soldier's right was a well build man, and judging by the fact that he was carrying a Mossberg 500 it was probably safe to assume, ironic as this statement is, he was a pro hunter.

At the moment, the young girl was heading towards the edge of town and towards a safe haven she knew about in the woods, however she was running out of places to hide since she found herself near the village square, where the only places she could possibly hide in are under a few second hand cars, local one's too like Dacias, looking around she started to smile for a bit since the village was a mixture of old and new architecture, a fact which helped her right now cause the village square was mostly stone based architecture and she in turn could either manipulate rocks or the earth itself, a meta ability she remembered as Geo kinesis

Acting quickly she started manipulating small rock fragments laying around the square and started throwing them as projectiles at her enemies, in the hopes of slowing them down.

However due to her fear and adrenaline were spiking her aim was anything but accurate meaning the projectiles were either off by a centimeter or a mile which fueled her pursuers to continue to use deadly means in achieving their objective. Not wanting to give them the satisfaction of a successful hunt, the blonde girl now positively identified as young Tara Markov, took off with renewed strength towards the woods outside of the village, making remarkable progress, stowing away on an old carriage heading in the same direction, which in turn ensured that for the meantime she won't be shot at.

Once close enough to the forest she jumped out of the carriage and immediately started running towards a valley she found while exploring. In this valley a lone cottage was standing next by to a small creak running from the mountains nearby, the cottage itself was neither something too fancy and neither something rundown, unfit for human living, it was in all definitions modest with a sturdy roof, a couple of beds layed with genuine wool blankets and a small TV capable of having a weak reception with one running sports channel. At this precise moment though none of that mattered to Tara, the only thing that did matter was that it was remote enough for her to escape unwelcome company or at worst case scenario it was the perfect setting to launch a counter strike against her enemies, and since she knew that this time one of her enemies was a local yokel she knew it would be just a matter of time before she was found.

Once reaching her hideout she quickly ran inside to take shelter, settle her stomach and treat some of the wounds she received during the chase, well as best to her abilities and knowledge. In the meantime she took a few quick minutes to calm her breathing while closing her eyes however it only partially worked due to how cold she actually now felt. With chattering teeth she quickly wrapped herself in one of the wool blankets and stepped outside for a ice and refreshing drink.

Once there she took a few moments not only for a quick drink but to clean herself up as fast as possible, once done she went back inside a bit more relaxed to ditch the warm yet cumbersome blanket to mentally prepare for the impending fight.

An half an hour or so has passed when Tara could hear clearly her pursuers have reached her hideout,with the royal soldier now speaking in her native tongue.

'come out little Tara… our beloved princess….. we both know there is nowhere for you to hide from your benevolent father….. or from anyone for that matter….' he said the last part with an inward chuckle as he was cocking his sub machine gun, clearly preparing for her to resist.

It was agreed between the pursuers that once the moment of truth arrives, they would split up in a triangular formation to make sure their prey/target would not escape the volley of bullets hailing her way or have an easy time defending herself if the little bitch should try going out in a blaze of glory, as the men got into positions and cocked their guns to fire, they impatiently waited for the group's leader to give the firing order, unbeknownst to them a mysterious third party was stalking them and biding his time accordingly.

'twitchy little bastards aren't they…?, well that makes it tougher… now think what would help me…..?…..got it!… that's gonna be good….'

Right when the men were about to open fire on the cottage, all of them were startled by the roar of a grizzly bear and by the sounds of it not more than a 100 yards or so, quickly the hunter among the group pointed his Mossberg 500 towards the source of the noise, ready to shoot the bear down, but no bear ever came out, now a bit on edge the group tried turning around and continue their mission, however at that point in time they began hearing from the same direction, a different voice, this time of an African elephant of all things?. the soldier gave the other two new orders, to spread out and find the source of the noise.

First the drunkard local paced out of his position for about 50 clicks towards the woods with his back turned, only to be grabbed by a green chimpanzee and get knocked out in the process landing with a thud near his mates,who broke formation, the hunter now freaking out fired a couple of rounds from his shotgun, hoping to hit the target and since he saw no movement from the general area. Relaxing a bit he lowered his weapon only to be surprised a few seconds later when a giant green gorilla came rushing towards him slapping him unconscious, leaving only the soldier now gripped with panic and terror he tried to find his motor functions in his arms so he can shoot the strange creature, however what he saw next made his heart stop.

The gorilla in front of him changed its size and shape into a green lion, stalking the man slowly he sensed his panic, so in return he let a booming roar, to which the soldier could only response with fainting, the lion now in return changed again into the shape of a green 8 year old boy wearing a purple, black uniform with hints of silver on them.

"lying (lion) down on the job….. tsk tsk tsk….."

The boy identified as Beast boy started stretching his limbs while the very few muscles he did have started to ache a bit, so in turn he started walking a bit, in reality he was dragging his feet until he came across the river nearby. A bit tired and a bit wary he decided it would be a good idea to take a 5 minute break before returning to his unit/family simply known as The doom patrol. At first he was satisfied with a small sip of the cooling and clear water, however he wondered if he should turn into a dog and take an impromptu bath, however he started noticing a few pebbles started floating near him so in exchange he slowly but surely he turned around slowly, steadying himself for a fight, catching a small glance of the blonde girl.

'i am no threat….. I…. am….. friend!?'… Beast boy tried his best at talking with an eastern European dialect….. hopefully Markovian. Then again he didn't have a lot of time practicing it since his unit got the alert that something peculiar was happening all over Europe, regarding a runaway girl with unique abilities. Tara now visibly questioning the boy with her eyes simply replied with.

"you can speak English….. I understand it very well….. unlike your Markovian…" Beast boy sighed with relief after hearing that. "thank god….. I think I accidentally mixed Romanian and Serbian into that sentence….. so what's your name?…" Tara on the other hand got really quiet and really quick for a few brief moments before giving it away. "Tara… my name is Tara….. and yours….. cute green boy?….."

At hearing that he started to blush a little before averting his eyes to the ground. "Beast boy….. nice to meet y….." but before he could finish his sentence Tara rushed him and gave him a small peck on the cheek, Blushing madly he quirked his eyebrow silently asking 'okay….. what was that for….?' Tara catching it started to smile and laugh while saying. "it's a thank you for saving me… you funny and silly green boy."

Beast boy now smiled a nervous little smile before his tongue started working again.

"say I have to go back soon… my family would start to worry if I'm gone for too long….. so… can we hang out again….. a bit later…?" Tara on the other hand changed her demeanor quickly while speaking in a grave and serious tone. "some of the men and boys in my life said…. that they had to leave….. and never ever returned….. do you promise you'll return to me….. Beast boy….." she made sure to emphasize that last part while her eyes started tearing a little, Beast boy on the other hand surprised her by hugging her and saying.

"please don't cry….. I promise to you, we'll meet again…." after that in a cheery mood, trying to make her laugh, he started singing "We'll meet again" as sang by Frank Sinatra.

Back in present day Cyborg, after assessing the situation carefully, had contacted Starfire to let her know of the predicament and she in return listened quickly and gave an official order for Beast boy and the mysterious teen to head back to the tower while Cyborg and Kid Flash are to rendezvous with the rest of the Titans to hunt down the escaped convicts.

Titan's tower, the roof, 05:00 am.

Richard being informed on what's about to happen decided that for now it would be best to meet the new visitor on neutral grounds so to speak, normally he would feel tense and agitated at a predicament like this but he would be lying if he said the situation didn't make him somewhat curious, so he sat down with the coffee in his hand and waited for several moments. He almost got bored waiting, feeling his coffee getting colder until he witnessed in a distance a patch of dirt floating above the water carrying a young blonde teen and Beast boy making it's way towards him until both teens touched down on the roof.

"was a yellow brick road too subtle for you guys…..?" both Beast boy and Terra gave him a look that said 'really', Richard caught the look rather quickly and came to his own defense.

"yeah really….. it's 5 in the morning, and I'm running on fumes….." Terra spoke up, getting straight to the point. "my name is Tara Markov, I also go by the name Terra, I'm an exile from the kingdom of Markovia, now living on U.S soil as an illegal….. lately I got myself into a lot of trouble with a dangerous man who's blackmailing me into helping him….. you guys know him as Death-stroke The Terminator….. he forced me to stage the prison escape to get your attention….."

Now at this moment in time both Richard and Beast boy felt really on edge so with a quick nod both of them asked her silently 'go on…. we're listening, Terra in turn took a deep breath before continuing.

"he wants to destroy the Titans from within….. using me as a double agent…. at least that's what he shared with me so far…." Terra ended her answer with an awkward rub of her shoulder and arm while avoiding eye contact from Beast boy or the young man introduced as Richard. Him on the other hand was just thinking.

'great…. here goes my opportunity to catch some shot eye….'

Terra was in the meantime led by Richard into a room he built in the tower, with the single purpose for interrogations, in case some villains were stupid enough to get caught on the Titans home turf, at first the other Titans questioned the necessaty of such a room but Richard still carrying the title of Robin at the time was proven correct on more than one occasion surprisingly.

At this Terra took a seat in the room, making good use of her time to inspect her surroundings for details, although there was one problem with that intent, the room lacked details, it was a near vacant room with nothing in it but a chair and a table, the only detail worth noticing was that every inch of the room matched the colors of the furniture, an aggressive shade of white, she waited for a long while, evident by a nervous tapping of her feet, however she didn't lose her sarcastic edge even when Richard finally entered the room.

"do you call this quality hospitality…?" Tara/Terra asked trying to eye him up and down, trying to read his movements and react to them accordingly, he on the other hand gave a small sheepish smile.

"sorry… force of habit I guess….. besides I had to notify my team about the bombshell you dropped on us….."

It was Tara's turn to give a sheepish response towards Richard, that said she didn't talk she just gestured it with a facial expression that said 'sorry', a few moments of silence passed by before she asked. "about the escaped prisoners, did you manage to apprehend them all…?". Richard just sat there for a few minutes before saying.

"we got most of them…. and as soon as we catch them all, we'd have to turn you in too….."

Tara/Terra got a little nervous, trying to subtly hide it she proposed a question. "is there any chance we could avoid prison all together… let's say if I act like an informant on you behalf?….. maybe?….. pretty please…..?"

Richard sat there, getting a strange amusement by the situation, and didn't bother to hide it, but to be fair he did answer he honestly.

"not sure….. depends on how valuable and valid your intell is….. plus we'll need to confirm a few details about you before you join….. not to mention notifying the local authorities on our little arrangement….. Savvy?….."

Terra/Tara on the other hand responded with an overconfident comeback, which reflected in her tone and overall posture. "oui monsieur dickhead….. now are you gonna arrange for me a cosy little cell in the meantime?… a proper guestroom…..? or something in between like a cosy S&M dungeon…?"

Richard taken aback a little bit from the response, decided to get himself together and leave without responding to that, once outside he walked towards the living quarters, to check if there are any vacant guestrooms, bumping into Beast boy on the way.

"say Beast Boy….. how well do you know this girl again…?" Beast boy himself gave a sheepish look and grin while scratching the back of his head replying accordingly. "well… the only thing I can say for sure is…. she's …. forward….."

'you have no idea… at least I hope you're not…..' was the thought that ran through Richard's head, but instead he opted to say the following. "make sure our guest behaves herself while I prep up a guest room….." and with that Richard continued to his destination until his communicator went off, Starfire being on the other line, sounding tired and exhausted, she reported back that the last batch of convicts have been recaptured, Richard congratulated her while adding the following.

"when you return home insist that everyone takes a long rest…. there are some stuff to unpack….." 'both literally and figuratively he added in his mind'. after ending the conversation, he went to prepare a guestroom, or for the moment at the worst case scenario, to make the living room a makeshift guestroom.

Titan's ops room, late noon after a long and deserved rest

After a small, brief introduction to the Titans members in the following order, Starfire, Wonder Girl, Cyborg, Kid Flash and Raven, Terra began explaining in great details the circumstances that led her to the point and place she was currently now, even the part where Beast boy came in. While listening Raven being the second biggest skeptic in the group next to Richard couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the temporary new 'housemate' so at some point she averted her gaze to Richard who at this very moment communicated with her using his posture and overall body language.

'i don't trust her either…. see if you can get a 'read' on her….. if you don't mind it that is….'

Raven communicated back, saying silently that she was ten steps ahead of him.

Richard knowing he could always count on Raven, had excused himself from his friends for the time being, to get ready himself for a visit towards downtown's police station, while Tara was seemingly left to her own devices while she mingled with her new friends, keyword being seemingly because Raven, ever being the definition of discrete, was at the moment trying to read and feed off of the guest's emotions, however the guest proved to be a challenge since it appears she can put up both emotional barriers as well as mental ones.

Starting to feel frustrated by the ordeal, she spotted Richard passing by the ops room, making eye contact she expressed her disappointment through her facial expression and him sighing while nodding in understanding. Continuing on he requested Terra/Tara to follow his lead.

Titan's garage, a few minutes later.

Both teens were walking towards a light sky blue 1980 Pontiac Grand Le Mans coupe, and as both of them got in Tara couldn't help but make the following remark. "I thought a guy like you would prefer a Ferrari over this….."

Her remark amused him but at the moment he was as stoic as he's ever been, even while working with Batman a few years back, so accordingly he responded with a dry comment.

"normally I am… but I don't like drawing unnecessary attention to myself…"

Getting the vibe that she wouldn't get anywhere by keeping up the conversation she decided to stay quiet as Richard drove out of the garage and into the mainland, still the lack of a conversation bored her to no end so she decided to tune in to the radio, she searched through the different stations until she found a song to her taste, Phil Collins In The Air Tonight, thinking to herself while listening to the song.

'well this is gonna get difficult really easy really fast…'

Richard in the meanwhile was concentrating purely on driving until he asked the following question.

"what's your end gain Terra…..?"

Terra/Tara was about to give Richard an answer, however at that exact moment she spotted in the rear view mirror that a car was following them for the last 300 yards or so, to be specific a certain 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, so instead of mincin words she opted to respond with.

"don't talk just listen… I spotted a car has been tailing us for a while now…. and not just any car…. it's Death-stroke….. so I guess he doesn't trust me just as much as you do…"

Richard not needing to be told or advised twice stepped on the gas pedal gaining some distance from his tail on his way to the police station, hoping some fancy maneuvering would be enough to shake the car following him without having to take a detour.

Meanwhile in the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, Slade Wilson/Death-stroke was anticipating that reaction from his target, having fought in a major/ high profiled war as a master tactician has served him in civilian life so far pretty well, even though on a rare occasion there is always a wild card, to throw a figurative monkey wrench into his careful planning, in this case a certain young meta-woman named Terra. Even so he slowed down instead of speeding up, banking on his target gaining a false sense of security.

In the meantime Richard knowing better than to foster false hopes has arrived to the police station, but chose to park the car out of plain view, stopping the car he waited a few seconds to make sure the coast is clear before addressing Terra/Tara.

"thanks."

Terra/Tara quipped back, "hey, if you can't trust an all american girl…. who can you trust." she smirked to amplify that effect, Richard could only reply with.

"right….. from Eastern Europe…."

"exactly….." she shot back while both of them got out of Richard's car and headed towards the police station, while his back was turned, Terra threw a silver object in a shape of a small cylinder into a trash can near the police station, it's top half was starting beeping blue in a regular frequency, turning up to be a tracker for Death-stroke, just in case Richard did too good of a job.

Death-stroke arrived with his car a few minutes later having using the tracker Terra left behind,having pull over he went outside towards the trunk of the car and popped it open, there laying in his trunk were the following items, a Bowie hunting knife, an M16 assault rifle, an Steyr AUG with a built in muzzle suppressor and a thermal scope, a Smith & Wesson Model 686 revolver, a silence Mac 10 machine gun, a claymore broadsword and a trench coat neatly packed into the corner of his trunk, having picked up the coat first and throwing it onto himself, he took a minute to choose the weapons he would use next, ultimately he chose the hunting knife, the silenced assault rifle with the scope, the sub machine gun and the revolver, after concealing the weapons he went towards inside the police station.

Inside the police station with Richard and Tara.

When the two headed inside the station, Richard was searching for the precinct's lieutenant or better yet captain, however the mother of all dumb luck has shone on Richard when he came across D.A Adrian Chase, an highly influential official, who so far has been on good terms with Both Richard and Robin, and most importantly a confidant outside of the Titans he could trust with his secret's.

"Mr. Chase, glad I caught you…. I'm in a bit of a situation and I need your help in the matter…" mr. Chase knowing Richard nodded for him to continue, so Richard pointed towards Terra standing aimlessly a few feet away.

Being known for his dry humor Mr. Chase simply stated, "marriage licenses, are a matter for city hall, not a police station…." Richard only gave him a sarcastic and unamused look that said 'not my type' before pressing on.

"as I was trying to say….. that girl over there, is the reason for the escaped inmates incident earlier today…. however…" but before he could finish his sentence, Mr. Chase finished for him.

"let me guess….. it wasn't her idea….. and she wants to work for you as an informant….. is that about right…..?" Richard simply nodded unphased by his dead on guess, yet he added one last bit. "she want's to join the Titans and I'm here to make it official with your approval of course, Mr. Chase having anticipated that statement countered with one of his own.

"before I say yes….. how much do you trust her…..?"

Richard gave mr. Chase his most honest answer, while Terra in secret was eavesdropping in on the conversation, pretending to be waiting with nothing to do, which ironically enough became actual boredom and irritation, which made her mutter.

'come on Slade, you old bastard… move your ass will you…'

Speaking of old and bastard, a mask less Death-Stroke came waltzing into the station's front desk with the intent of discreetly casing the station's ground level before he began his assault, not to draw too much suspicion he approached the officer manning the front desk, an angry and bitter old man, who judging by body language, couldn't give a rat's ass about the job he was assigned to, Death-Stroke immediately knew how to handle this guy.

"two days till retirement…..?" the officer gave him a harsh glare that said, 'none of your business asshole…. what do you want….?', which made Death-Stroke to reply back.

"easy old timer…. I'm not here for you….. I'm here looking for a young girl….." the officer clearly not giving a crap. Shot back sarcastically. "listen closely….. this is a police station….. not a brothel….. now if you don't mind….. get lost…." Death-Stroke/ Slade Wilson was trying his best to stay polite as possible. "listen she's my little girl, so could you leave her a message for me… she's blonde, blue eyed, wears a leather outfit and has a small gap between her teeth."

"listen, if I say yes… would you leave quicker, so I won't have to stare at your ugly mug more than necessary…?"

Death-Stroke didn't waste a single moment, relaying his message. "just say to her that daddy will be back for you little girl….."

The officer at the front desk gave a reluctant nod and pulled himself off his ass, and made his way up the stairs to the upper level and made a sharp left turn, casing the place a bit more, Death-Stroke couldn't avoid the next thought.

'I'll put the bastard out of his misery first…'

In the meantime Richard having explained to Mr. Chase the conditions to Terra's 'surrender', the two were currently finalizing the final print, opting to wait just outside the door, Tara was going bonkers without some action going on, however that soon changed when she came into eye contact with the pissed off receptionist.

"daddy will be back for you little girl….."

Terra wanted badly to roll her eyes on that line, but she knew it was her Que to get into character, still she mentally said to herself. 'about time… one eyed prick'

"what do you mean…..?, I got no parents in the states….. or any other relatives for that matter… oh no, it's him… he's found me….." experiencing a mild panic attack, albeit fake, the receptionist, having been all to eager for an excuse to draw his gun, gave her a silent order to take cover as he rushed downstairs towards were the action is, leaving Terra to grin like the cat that ate the canary.

'you have no idea to what kind of action you bargained for you…..'

But before she could've finished her thought, she heard a fire fight going downstairs from the reception floor, mustering all of her acting skill and talent, she rushed into the room where Richard was.

"no time to talk fellas, just listen…. it's Death-Stroke, he found me….. and he's now starting a massacre downstairs… please, you got to evacuate as many people as you can while I'll lure him away… NOW GO!….."

After both men catching up to the massacre that went outside, D.A Chase started running outside to try and evacuate as many people as he could, while Richard contacted the Titans, to come to their aid and provide much needed backup while Terra/Tara summoned a large amount of dirt and gravel, so she could float on it, and maybe distract Death-Stroke long enough or better yet make him chase after her to a more spacious battlefield.

Making sure that Richard is occupying himself and that she floated far enough from the nearest windows, she started muttering to herself in an exhausted tone.

'i really hope he's not trying to oversell it…. oh fuck it….. I bet he does'

Landing near the entrance to the building Terra immediately took cover, after witnessing what truly went on downstairs, it was like a sequence out of a horror movie where the supernatural killing force of the week, in this case Death-Stroke butchered and maimed people, both policemen and civilians by the dozens, in this specific scenario, alternating between his assault rifle, revolver, sub machine gun and knife, expertly taking advantage of both his left and right hand reloading and launching his weapons while finding sufficient cover to avoid critical injuries.

That fact had no bearings on why she took cover, she took cover to figure out how to save the day and make a believable spectacle of it, so Richard would immediately let her join the Titan's ranks, no questions asked, so she bid her time thinking.

'collapse the entire upper floor on his head…. to ambitious….. catching him under a wave of rocks and gravel…. don't got the energy for that….. wait, that's it….. trap him between walls of solid concrete… that's perfect'

As Terra took a few steps out of her hiding spot, she was about to launch her assault on Death-Stroke but before she knew what had hit her, she felt extreme pain cutting through her left cheek while a couple more hits sent searing pain in both of her shoulders, drawing blood out of her and making her collapse to the ground, the pain she felt were bullets that came from Death-Strokes sub machine gun, a few moments passed and the assailant without spearing so much as a word, went to the limb body of the Teen girl, picked her up and made his way towards his car and making sure to toss her into the trunk like a sack of potatoes, while taking just a small moment to mutter.

"that's for going off script…. you poor excuse of a psycho bimbo…."

By that time Richard has already made it to the reception area, and after witnessing the massacre and the exchange between the two he immediately called the Titans and the nearest local hospital, informing the both of them on what's gone down in the minutes after his earlier call, to that end Starfire has told him back that she, Raven and Wonder Girl would provide him assistance with rescuing any injured or dead until the medics and ME arrive. While Cyborg, Beast boy and Kid Flash will give pursuit after Death-Stroke and Terra/Tara, on that note Starfire chose to ask.

'what about you?….. are you alright my love…..?'

Richard gave a small smile while responding with a soft yes, while waiting for Starfire, Raven and wonder Girl, he first saw Beast boy in a form of a cheetah, Cyborg and Kid Flash pass by the police station's parking lot, so he gave them a quick description of the target vehicle before they continued their hot pursuit.

Meanwhile with Terra in the Trans Am trunk.

Death-Stroke's car was soaring down the road it's currently on at a speed of probably about a 100 MPH, which made speed bumps a lot more of an difficult experience than it had to, eventually the shaking of the trunk were so abrupt Terra had finally been awoken from her drowsiness, annoyed by the whole ordeal she tried escaping, however she forgot in all the commotion and motion, one crucial detail, both of her shoulders were shot.

Visibly pissed she started screaming from the back of the car, "Death-Stroke… you've taken things too far… let me out already….. or else, you'll regret it….." Death-Stroke on the other hand was cold, stoic and apathetic to the whole situation.

"believe me you psychotic bitch… I regret not doing it sooner….."

As Death- Stroke continued to drive further and further while also being purview to Terra constantly shouting and swearing, after a while it became quite insufferable so he let the car under steer just enough so he could swerve and knock her out again in the process, in that time period he witnessed he had company,it appeared at first glance that he was followed by a heavily modified sedan, a flurry of reds and yellows and a green cheetah, however he knew that the Titans were now hot on his trail, in this instance specifically Cyborg, Kid Flash and Beast boy, however he did not speed up or slowed down completely, instead he made a less than elegant 180 turn and sped up in the opposite direction, nearly playing chicken with Cyborg,causing him to swerve aside while Beast boy and Kid Flash had to course correct

'sorry kids…. this is not part of the script….'

In the meantime Richard and the rest of the Titans were engaged with the evacuation efforts of the police station massacre for both survivors and victims alike, Richard however couldn't shake the feeling Death-Stroke was up to something.

Death-Stroke pushed and drove the Trans Am to the limits of its performance passing from lane to lane, and neighborhood to neighborhood while the three Titans in question did their absolute best to keep up with Beast boy leading the fray, alternating between three animal forms, the cheetah, an owl, and a spider monkey depending what obstacle he was facing in pursuit, with Kid Flash right on his tail, while also from time to time trying to phase from wall to wall in the hopes of catching the driver off guard, with Cyborg at last bringing up the rear with his own T car trying to shoot the tires off of the muscle car.

It couldn't been seen on Death-Stroke's masked face but with each passing moment he got more and more irritated with the antics of his pursuers, so in a somewhat desperate attempt to shake them off he diverted his car from the road to the nearby sidewalk, he drove there for a while giving little damn about innocent pedestrians get in his way. Kid Flash in turn slowed his pace to try and save as many innocent bystanders as possible while Beast boy and Cyborg tried to maintain visual contact with the Trans Am, which finally pushed Death-Stroke to take more extreme measures.

Doing a U turn and shifting the car into reverse, Death Stroke punched the windshield out of his car and began shooting with his left hand in the direction of the Teen Titans while steering with his right, Beast Boy and Kid Flash took off in different directions while Cyborg accelerated head on. wise to their tactics Death-Stroke immediately swerved back and shifted back into drive, however he failed to register he was in direct contact with a narrow staircase directly in line with a small department store just across from it, so instead of slowing down he accelerated, gaining momentum for a stunt jump, seeing this Cyborg charged his sonic cannon and fired a shot at the trunk of the car but he missed, so next Kid Flash catching on to the idea, shot a lightning bold from his hand hitting a bullseye on the lock off the trunk just as the car was now air born, making the contents of said trunk and Terra spill out to the street below.

Thinking quickly Beast boy morphed from a running cheetah into a gorilla, while in motion, he jumped into the air to catch Terra softly before she could hit the ground, which he was about to do ungracefully, so he shifted his body weight so he would take most of the hit instead of her, crashing loudly the impact reverted Beast boy back to his human, well more humane form.

Meanwhile Slade Wilson/Death-Stroke crashed his Trans Am on the roof of the supermarket, the force of the impact only leaving hi, with a few minor gashes and a dislocated shoulder, climbing out of the wreckage, being once his car, he fixed his shoulder back into place.

Meanwhile down below Beast boy with a twisted ankle and aching muscle was doing his best to get Tara/Terra to safety while Kid Flash ran alongside him to act as a makeshift crutch for the both of them, in the meantime to help them alleviate the pain he tried joking with Beast boy, but he was stopped by the latter.

"before you make a King Kong joke, I've made most of them myself….. besides I'm in charge of monkey business around the city… so sorry mate….."

Kid Flash laughing a bit, simply made the next statement, "gorillas aren't monkeys….. they're apes….. Irwin…."

Cyborg , having heard the exchange had enough of that shit and quickly went over to carry Terra/Tara to his car and give her immediate medical attention, since it appears only he noticed the gunshot wounds in her shoulders, muttering to himself mostly.

'damn fools….. if that's the best we can settle with….. being taken over by an army of apes doesn't sound like a bad trade about now….'

Cyborg at this point was carrying Tara, cradled like a baby when he made the next call. ""Raven….. you're there?….. we got a casualty… it's Tara… can you spare a few to heal her….?" the only response he received back was.

"how severe are we talking about…..?"

"severe as gunshots to the shoulders can be…" Cyborg said now attempting his best with what he got to give her a field patch, not moving his gaze for a minute while he did so.

"be there in a few…. in the meantime stay safe and stay vigilant….."

Cyborg feinting being insulted just asked in retaliation. "aren't I always Raven….?"

Having said that Cyborg continued treating Terra/Tara, thanking god that the bullet wounds were clean ones while Death-Stroke from above, with little to no ammo was keeping the Titans known as Beast boy and Kid Flash at a safe distance with accurate shots from the weapons still left on his person, mainly from his revolver, while on occasion matching Kid Flash's rapid fire movements either with his own heightened reflexes or all around well timed and well placed shots.

'damn fucking kids… I'll admit you made me lose focus….. and now I'm paying for it…..'

Although he mostly came out of the crash unscathed, he still took enough of a hit that it forced him to fight with half of his strength and half his usual speed, so with a sense of wounded pride he tried to make a tactical retreat, while still keeping the titans at bay, however his stalling tactic did backfire on him since now the rest of the Titans have now arrived on the scene, especially the potentially most dangerous of them all Raven.

Beast boy having being witness to the shit that Terra/Tara has been through since their short reunion could not find himself the mental strength to process what has happened, he only knew two things for certain, he had to protect her no matter the cost and he had to make sure the bastard that was responsible for it get his ass kicked if Beast boy's own fucked up history with loss should happen to repeat herself, sensing Starfire and Raven arriving on the scene he took the initiative.

"Starfire, make sure Raven heals Tara properly…. me and Kid Flasher will try to get the drop on death-Stroke….."

Kid Flash gave a dirty look over to Beast boy's direction while Starfire nodded in affirmation adding the next part, knowing a little what he's going through.

"Beast boy, try you hardest to bring him back alive and safe…" Beast boy on the other hand gave her a pointed look that said. 'no promises…. but I'll try' Death-Stroke in the meantime witnessed that exchange with his heightened senses had to quicken his retreat if he didn't want to become the enemy's captive, only one thought going through his mind.

'screw the script….. it's time to improvise anyway…..'

Death-Stroke stealthily fled the scene as his main concerns now were to hide his uniform and find an alternative mode of transportation, since he knew it wouldn't take long for the Titans to track him down in his current condition.

Beast boy in the meantime turned into a bloodhound and without delays started sniffing for Death-Stroke's scent, ignoring the strong scent of gunpowder in the air meanwhile Kid Flash tried to make a really quick pit-stop to regain a fair amount of calories after running non stop all over town. In the meantime Starfire hung back with Raven and Cyborg both tending to the fallen new comrade Terra, speaking of, the healing process on the blonde proven to be more taxing than expected on Raven.

"not that I hate your company Starfire, but is there a good reason you're breathing down on my neck…?"

Starfire smiled sheepishly. A bit embarrassed about what she did. "sorry friend Raven… I am merely providing assistance in any capacity I can….. or at the very least attempting to….."

Raven having at the moment no time for tact simply blurted out. "the best way to help me right now is to make sure Death-Stroke doesn't manage to escape Beast boy or Kid Flash… besides at the moment I need precise instruments….. not blunt force…. no offense….." Starfire understanding very well what her friend meant simply smiled a small smile quietly saying. 'I understand…. and no offense taken' right before taking off to the sky like a ballistic missile.

A few minutes has passed after that, and with great care from both Cyborg and Raven Terra started coming to, a bit hazed and confused by the experience she quietly mumbled. "Death-Stroke….. where is he…..?, I have to get him… he can't escape…" both Cyborg and Raven said at the same time the following.

"rest up… you did more than enough for one day….. we've got this, what you need to do now is rest…"

Terra/Tara wanted to scream at them for being a couple of idiots, pointing out the obvious but since she didn't have the strength for it, she let her body go numb while she closed her eyes once more.

With eyes at the back of his head Death-Stroke made his retreat efficiently, however there was one problem, it wasn't efficient enough given the circumstances and events that transpired earlier that day, checking his revolver yet again he noticed that he was running scarcely low, and with his body threatening to go out of commission if he'd happen to push it to his limit, he decided the streets he was currently taking refuge in will not suffice, so with a calculated risk he took to the main road, spotting a cab just a few clicks away.

With in the cab itself the driver was taking a small snooze while listening to the current track on the radio, Frank and Nancy Sinatra The Girl from Ipanema when he received a rude awakening by Death-Stroke, pointing his revolver at the back of the driver's neck.

"is this cab taken…?", the cabbie, not appreciating the treatment he was getting decided to answer with a hint of snark in his voice, "well no buddy, unless you decide on where would you like to go already….." Death-Stroke did not take heed to the driver's tone, he just cocked his revolver ready to shoot a bullet and with a monotone just replied.

"the nearest shopping mall… and you better drive fast…"

Having no choice in the matter the cabbie pulled away from his parking space, capable of thinking only about the following. 'if this turns into a Stockholm syndrome, screw the consequences, I'm charging extra…..'

In the meantime Beast boy, Kid Flash and Starfire were trying their best to get on Death-Stroke's trail, especially Beast boy who slowed down the pace to make good use of his blood hound's senses, causing Kid Flash to slow down considerably to make sure Beast boy could catch up. Which was irritating him a bit since he was trained to do fast and efficient work.

"not to push you or anything but you do know that we're working on a clock here right…..?"

Beast boy turned back into a human for a brief while before shooting back in frustration.

"hey, you mind sticking your nose to the road in my place?….. be my guest….. also it's not easy for me to do tracking while dodging incoming traffic…."

Kid Flash didn't have anything to counter that with,surprisingly, so he continued searching while leaving Beast boy alone for now while Starfire kept to the skies, trying to locate the enemy as she instinctively knew that what she was doing currently was far less than effective.

'let us see….. I am aware that the enemy sustained some wounds, so aggravating them is not advised… also he commands quite a lot of attention so…'

Starfire didn't need to finish her thoughts before swooping down to where Beast boy and Kid Flash were currently searching for leads, she promptly stopped them in their tracks.

"not to say you do not do your work thoroughly, however I attempted to think like our enemy… and I might have an idea of where he is going next…. so follow me…."

With that said both teens stopped what they were doing as Kid Flash opted to follow Starfire while Beast Boy turned back to his human self once again for a breath moment to stretch his neck before transforming for a second time into a cheetah, speeding down the streets, trying to catch up to his friend's amazing speed.

Jump's shopping district, early afternoon.

The cab that Death-Stroke took to get there pulled over close to the mall and in the meantime inside the car was an eerie atmosphere of silence when Death-Stroke was checking his wallet while still holding his revolver to the back of the driver's head, the driver wanting nothing to do with this particular fare just said.

"keep your money I insist… I need it like I need a bullet in my brain….."

Death-Stroke said absolutely nothing, but before he exited the cab he gave the cabbie one final glare, silently saying. 'you saw nothing and you know nothing…. got it?' the driver couldn't move or speak at that point in time, he just gave a small positive nod of understanding while waiting for the passenger to leave and once he did, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

'i should've found a safer job to do, like working at a nuclear power plant…. at least I would've known what hazards to expect…'

Once inside the mall Death-Stroke made sure to remove and hide his mask while stealthily and skillfully he looted several different shops for loose fitting shoes, trousers, a shirt and a jacket with as many pockets as a man could possibly need both from the inside and outside, now however he was doing his best to blend in with a crowd of shoppers while also slowly and discretely trying to find an exit route the Titans wouldn't catch on to.

Meanwhile Starfire, Beast boy and Kid Flash arrived at the shopping center, however before entering Kid Flash quickly changed clothes and into his civilian identity of Wally West while Starfire found a place to slip into the identity of Kory Andres while Beast boy simply slipped the ring he received from Cyborg to disguise his greenish skin and when everyone else made their way inside Beast boy suddenly realized something.

'note to self…. ask Cyborg if I can program the ring to give me a few pounds of muscle…'

Once everyone of them were inside, they all could witness how bustling the mall was at that time, Beast boy especially because for every human face he encountered, a new scent came along with it, giving him nothing less than sensory overload, which manifested by a small feeling of dizziness by the unlucky teen, however there was no time to rest so he soldiered on and went further in to the mall in search for Death-Stroke.

"anyone knows who are we looking for or what he looks like… or are we taking a shot in the dark over here….."

Beast boy asked no one in particular, Kid Flash/Wally West chose to answer him anyway. "we're looking for someone who would stand out in a crowd with or without a Halloween costume on…" Beast boy replied back without paying attention to where he was going. "so basically anyone who actively chooses to live in a metropolitan city….. is that about right?….." but before he could get his answer he clashed with a pedestrian coming in from his opposite direction, a rather tall man with a gray hair and a beard with a glass eye, Beast boy immediately apologized and helped the man to his feet. The man in return said nothing but gave him a look that said.

'no harm done….. just keep an eye on where you're going'.

Beast boy took the advice of the older gentleman however before he continued onwards he stopped dead in his tracks, contacting his teammates in the process.

"correct me if I'm wrong, but Death-Stroke has a fake right eye….. right…..?"

None of his teammates answered at first until Kid Flash brought up the next point.

"among other things… why do you ask…..?"

Beast boy audibly gulped before answering, afraid he would be chewed out for his momentarily stupidity, however he composed himself before he continued.

"well…. a few seconds ago, I bumped into this military veteran looking guy who had a glass eye on the right side of his face….." but before he could finish his sentence he saw Kid Flash pass right by him in a red and yellow streak.

'good thing I'm used to it….. otherwise I would've shat myself'

Kid Flash at this point was making a few tours around the mall trying to find Death-Stroke with no luck whatsoever so he radioed in to Starfire.

"hi Star it's me Wally… I'm pretty sure Beast boy bumped into a disguised Death-Stroke, can you fly around the mall just to make sure he's not escaping….. I can't find him around the mall anywhere….."

Starfire didn't waste time on pleasantries and simply got right to the point.

"affirmative Kid Flash… now what does my target looks like…..?"

Kid Flash sighed a little before continuing. "that's just it I'm not really sure….. all I got from Beast boy was that he's a military veteran with a glass eye, his right eye to be precise….. so reasonably he should be an older looking gent…."

With that said Starfire ditched the disguise of Kory Andres, and took off towards the mall's exit leaving a few pedestrians bemused, confused or both at the same time, her only concern at the moment was.

'please do not let me be late'

Sadly for Starfire though by the time she got to the mall's car park, she could not identify the man she was after,with no discourage in her heart she tried expanding the perimeter of her search in a few different directions. After a long while of thorough searching with only a few mistaken identifications to show up for her results she bitterly had to stop her search, figuring that her target was long gone at this point, Starfire returned to the starting point, meeting Beast boy and Kid Flash also returning from a search conducted by their own accord, as she lowered herself to the ground she approached her teammates, cautiously optimistic.

"please tell me that you were more fortunate than me in you endeavors…"

Instead of receiving an answer, what Starfire met was a deafening silence from both Beast boy and Kid Flash, sighing in disappointment Starfire ushered both boys to regroup with the rest of the Titans, Kid Flash needed no further convincing as he began racing towards Cyborg's car, although his running could be described as slower than usual, however Beast boy looked visibly deflated and unmoving so Starfire in return approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder in a warm gesture that said.

'i know what you must be feeling in this moment… dwelling on them will not alter what has happened… therefore you must move forward…..'

Having understood that Beast boy put up a fake smirk mixed in with a brave face before turning into an ostrich and started running, trying to catch up to Kid Flash, Starfire being somewhat pleased by her small success, took off as well, now diverting her attention and focus to the well being of the new Titan teammate Tara/Terra.

Back with Terra, Cyborg and Raven

Having now being free from taking care of Terra, Raven could now refocus her efforts on the Titans she already made a familiar bond with, and sensing the amount of disappointment coming off Starfire, Beast boy and Kid Flash, it didn't take a regular Einstein to figure out what was the end results of the chase, it did however require quite an amount of finesse to breakdown the bad news to a trauma patient who just got out of a figurative 'surgery'

"they lost him didn't they?…." or at least that's what Raven thought.

'oh great….. now what…..?'

Raven silently cleared her throat and generally tried to avoid Tara for as long as possible, that went on for a few good minutes before Raven deciding that dancing around the issue won't solve anything, she, with an approving nod from cyborg just blurted out honestly.

"not sure… I wouldn't expect much either…."

As if right on cue Starfire, Kid Flash and Beast boy have returned with a lifeless step in them, with Beast boy being the exception cause he was carrying the shame of having Death-Stroke at the palm of his hands, only to have is naivete let him slip right through, Terra/Tara catching that has decided to resume her acting bit,emoting a false sense of pessimism, muttering to herself.

"why bother?, I'm already as good as dead… you're already as good as dead… he'll kill you to get to me…. and he'll never stop haunting/hunting me…."

Starfire catching that mutter, simply levitated across to Tara and with a gentle yet authoritative squeeze of her shoulder, commanded the blonde's attention with the following speech

"Tara, listen to me….. we will not under any circumstances let that come to pass, you know why?… Starfire waited that the blonde will let her continue and with a confused expression from the former she continued. "it is because we have the best of what technology can offer us, the best of magic or mysticism, and as long as their are brave souls like us willing to fight for our cause, we have the best of what the human spirit can offer as well….. now let us everyone return back to the tower, we have a lot of work that needs to be done…"

Tara in the meantime was awe struck at how easy it was to fool those naive and trusting bunch of superheroes, while the rest of them got into Cyborg's T car, the vehicle now being started and driven home while Cyborg contacted Wonder Girl and Richard to determine where they were, by what said it was determined that Wonder Girl stayed in the hospital with the survivors of the earlier incident as an unofficial back up while Richard took the car towards the tower, now coordinating from there the search for Death-Stroke on a large scale with JCPD police stations all over the city, all the while Terra could only think.

'you better not make it easy on the police asshole'.

The ride back to the tower was uncomfortably quiet, with Raven and Tara meeting earlier that day, which created a slight air of mistrust, Cyborg in the driver seat trying to find an appropriately cheerful music but he figured 'good luck finding a tune that said, congratulations you just lost a dangerous mercenary and now the city's paying for it', so that idea went absolutely nowhere, speaking of, the ice breaker and literal party animal is currently nowhere to be found, most likely taking the scenic route home, and the leader of the team is already back home probably overworking herself thanks to this mishap. Only one thing was for sure all of the car passengers thought the same thing.

'god someone speak up….. this silence is killing me…..'

Titan's tower, living room. Early evening.

Starfire was the first to arrive home, with the sight of Richard burying himself in his laptop with a digital map trying to pinpoint Death-Stroke's hideout using his latest sighting as new variables to greet her, this did not inspire confidence in her, still she went to his side and planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

"please forgive me dearest….."

Richard could only stare back a little confused before replying to his beloved.

"nothing to be sorry about Star…. this is just a painful reminder that we need to remain alert….. besides, by all definitions he's a skilled warrior, not a common thief…. everyone else okay though?….."

Starfire visibly relaxing and sighing in relief answered back.

"about as one would expect… although Beast boy took it much more to heart than expected…"

Richard had nothing to say further at this point, he just gave his lover one last look of encouragement, plus one kiss on the lips as extra before he returned back to work.

"what was that for…..?" Starfire quirked her eyebrows in amusement while asking, while Richard shot playfully back.

"that was for being you… sweetie"

After a while longer the rest of the Titans and Tara got back home, thanks to the sour performance of tonight by everyone except Raven every house mate went to his own room to spend the rest of the night alone, the first among them was Tara who unceremoniously went to the guest room in complete silence and plopped ungracefully on the guest bed, shutting her eyes and nodding off to sleep. While sleeping she subconsciously went back into a memory from what seemed a life time ago.

In that memory Tara was that little girl once more, now bearing witness to her new found friend turning into an animal and scurrying away, while her pursuers laid unconscious around her, as she watched her friend disappearing into the horizon she suddenly remembered of that very fact. Without a moment to lose she headed back to the cabin searching for a while for something, a few minutes went by and she was now carrying two kinds of ropes, a regular one and a barb wire, looking at the unconscious men yet again, all she could think of was.

'damn….. should've convinced him to help me tie them up'

Nonetheless, she began tying them up to the best of her abilities, struggling only with their weight and stench, she tied them up in such a fashion that all of them were facing each others back with their feet tied together by their ankles. Now all she had to do was wait until they'll regain their consciousness, which in theory shouldn't take that long, so she decided to wait for a few minutes, however since a few minutes eventually turned into almost an hour, she got bored and went inside the cabin.

"i wonder what's on TV.…" she muttered to herself, as she turned it on, however, there was nothing really that interesting to begin with so she allowed herself to fall asleep in front of it, a few minutes went by probably no less than three quarters of an hour maybe, before a sound of rustling woke Tara from her sleep, miffed she'd woken up thinking.

'well fun's over… I have to get rid of them…..'

As she went outside, a surprise was waiting for her, that surprise came in the shape of a strange adult male covered up in an dark orange and navy blue uniform from head to toe holding a claymore in one hand and a barretta 9mm in the opposite one with the only distinguishing features were the eyes, one normal and the other made out of glass.

Tara at this point didn't move any unnecessary muscle, she did however stop to appraise the stranger before her, studying his stature and posture, she deduced he was a military man or at the very least a man who has been in the service, the only difference so far about this particular soldier is that this one didn't took his shot at killing her, a fact she intended to use to the fullest.

"what do you want?… I'm just an innocent little girl….."

All the stranger did in return was hoarsely laugh behind the mask for a few moments before diverting his attention to her captive audience, replying without taking his eyes off of them.

"now now little miss Markov… save the act, we both know that's a bold face lie….. now why don't you show me your true colors….."

Impressed by his sheer bluntness and cynicism Tara dropped all acts and pretenses, releasing her muscles at the process just for a second before focusing back on her pursuers. With renewed concentration she levitated at least two dozen pebbles from the lake and aimed all of them towards the captives and without further notice she threw them with such force that the stones became makeshift bullets mostly heading towards the target's heads, killing them by stoning, and on the off chance the captives would survive the barrage, than they would've surely died from internal bleeding.

"now if we're done here old man I'm…." but before she could finish the man silenced her with a single gesture and started addressing her. "they call me Death-Stroke….. I'm what you say a mercenary… I was offered a great pay day to keep you alive….. however, after seeing what you're capable of….. I'm betting that they would likely to double my pay if I bring you over to the states and train you as a world class assassin….. so what do you say?….. does it interest you?….."

Thinking about it Tara saw an interesting opportunity in the making so she silently agreed, however before she would get the chance to audibly reply, Death-Stroke vanished out of sight like he wasn't even there to begin with, a few moments later Tara has vanished in the same direction her other new friend Beast boy has gone off to.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 07: trust's worth.

'it's been a month since she came to my life….. she told me so much about you, yet you still manage to elude me…..'

Richard has been putting the extra hours into finding Death-Stroke since the last time he resurfaced. It was a predictable pattern with him ever since the team had formed. That sort of behavior would usually come at a personal cost such as losing sense of time, alienating his very own friends and team, his health would deteriorate if it would mean catching Death-Stroke. However that is no longer the case, ever since his mental breakdown, he found a good enough excuse to slow down and reexamine his past mistakes and grow from them, lately he even found time to add a few touches to his new identity as a hero.

As Richard sat in his room and contemplated on what to try next in locating his nemesis, he began to feel his stomach growling.

'no reason a hero shouldn't go for a hero sandwich while he keeps thinking'

With that said he quickly exited his room and headed towards the kitchen, a few minutes has passed and when he got there, he bumped into Tara, carrying three sandwiches with at least five layers of toppings each.

"good to see you Ricky… you guys ran out of cheese, sliced meat bread and orange juice….."

Richard bemused but what he saw, only gave her a look that said 'no shit' before replying back. "good to know we're on first name's bases….. now about the food…. this is a good time to make a run to the store and refill the fridge….. and to make it more fun…. take Beast boy as well…. he needs every opportunity to go out for walks the poor thing….."

Not amused by what Richard had said just shot back sarcastically.

"great let me get my whip….."

At this point Richard has already reached the phone to order take out, while lamenting on the following.

'whip?….. I didn't know Beast boy was into that kind of a relationship….'

As soon as Richard had finished that particular thought, he heard Tara drag Beast boy around the tower while Beast boy would whine and complain in a comical manner. To Tara however it didn't matter one bit she still dragged him across the tower and after a short while he heard them both leaving the tower.

' apparently not…..'

A few minutes have passed since Tara and Beast boy had left the tower and made it to the supermarket, the air around them was uncomfortably quiet while Tara decided to load half of the supermarket's stock on the shopping cart, regardless if the particular item made Beast boy ill to his stomach, whether it was due to his life style choices or otherwise, so in a desperate attempt he tried to break the ice between them and make himself heard in the process.

"Tara… don't you think we've bought food for an entire regiment?….. besides who's going to pay for all of it…..?"

In a nonchalant and quite frankly a rude and apathetic manner she simply answered.

"you."

"me….." but before Beast boy could utter another word, Tara raised her voice and got up in his face. "yes, you….. you got a problem with that?…. I mean correct me if I;m wrong but, I had to drag you all across the tower just to motivate you to make an effort for once instead of being a lazy sloth, I had to carry us using my powers since someone didn't have enough energy to pitch in and use his own, I have to push the grocery cart as well, and now god forbid I have to pay as well…..?"

At this moment Beast boy tried to apologetically reply. "I'm sorry but I usually pay out of the team's savings when I'm shopping, besides even if I could freely pay out of my own pocket, there's no way I could pay for all of what you took…." Beast boy now referring to the stack of groceries piling up in the cart, which made Tara pinch her nose in frustration before literally going off on another tirade while returning some of the items she took back to place.

"what you are is a sorry excuse of a boy… stay the hell away from my sight…. unless you can't even do that right….."

Beast boy could only keep quiet at this point while lamenting. 'god….. are you ever gonna tell me what I did wrong in my life….. or are you gonna make my life more miserable just for shits and giggles….?'

Of course no one bothered to answer back, to no one's surprise really, so he opted to follow a testy and volatile Tara towards the cash register, once they got there both of them saw that quite a long line of customers has formed between the two and the cash register. A few good minutes have passed by and eventually Beast Boy's and Tara's turn has come up, however once Beast boy started unloading the groceries Tara remembered she forgot something and made sure to make a big scene out of it

"listen….. I just remembered I forgot to buy something….. can you hold the line for a few seconds just until I come back…..?"

But before Beast boy and the cashier for that matter could utter a word in response she darted out of there leaving him to awkwardly shuffle his feet around before saying to no one in particular.

"i don't know her very well…."

A few seconds turned into a few minutes and Tara took her sweet time getting back, making the cashier impatient, the other customers pissed and mad as all hell and Beast boy nervous as all hell being shown by him sweating profusely. Eventually Tara returned to the line walking casually without a care in the world, while Beast boy uttered a hoarse thank you to any god known to man, however right when Beast boy was about to reach for his wallet to pay, his communicator went off, answering it quickly and nervously he saw Starfire's face on screen, relaying the following message

"Titans come in, if you receive this message, the following criminals are wreaking havoc on the city….. Plasmus, Phobia and Gizmo…. now Titans Together….."

As the message ended Beast boy was about to take off before Tara stopped him, addressing him in a calm and almost sweet kind of way.

"you take care of the groceries… besides you and me both know that the ability to turn into animals pales in comparison to manipulating the earth all around you…. so naturally I would fare better than you…" but before Beast boy could throw his two cents she already made it towards the exit.

As Terra made it out of the supermarket she began floating on the concrete like a surfer on a wave, and thankfully enough for her she didn't need to ask the other Titans for directions since the devastation caused by the villains made it easier for her to pinpoint the general vicinity of their current whereabouts.

Downtown Jump City, a little while later.

As Terra made it into the battlefield, she noticed the following, Starfire was combating a humanoid monster made of what apparently is toxic waste and sludge with the ability to shape shift as he pleases, as for Wonder Girl and Cyborg they were struggling with what appeared to be a high school boy trying to shoot them down with gadgets, guns and rockets, all stored away in a mechanical back pack, while Kid Flash and Raven were trying to distract and take down a creepy woman draped in a form fitting body suit mainly consisting different shades of green and black, however what was peculiar about this fight was that the villainess wasn't engaging in a physical fight but she did desperately tried to make eye contact with her intended victims.

'she must be using mind control…. better find Ricky to clear all that up….. if he's even here….'

Immediately Terra tried to find Richard, which to her surprise it he wasn't hard to find, he wore civilian clothes for the most part except for one crucial detail, a navy blue domino mask shaped like a bird over his eyes, and in this moment she witnessed him escorting innocent bystanders out of harms way, a pointless exercise in her mind but for the moment she reminded herself she's supposed to be acting like a Titan, so without hesitation she approached Richard to help with the evacuation.

"where do you need me…. what should I call you again…..?"

Richard/Night-wing took notice of her presence and without being concerned with tact simply replied with.

"you see those buildings all around you?… well in the rate the battle is going, they won't stand for much longer….. your job is to make sure no debris fall on innocent people trying to escape the battlefield….. think you're up for it?"

Without a second glance Terra gave him a cocky look that says 'watch me' and within the reach of her arms she concentrated long and hard for a few moments until a nearby building on the verge of collapse has miraculously was being held upright so that trapped bystanders could hobble and wobble outside to safety.

"are you gonna gawk at me all day…. or are you gonna do your job….."

A truly impressed and stunned Richard got out of his momentary funk and continued to provide aid to the surrounding areas after hearing the stress in the voice of the new recruit, both before anything else could happen, he witnessed a few stray missiles, undoubtedly coming from Gizmo's gadgets heading towards the building Terra was stabilizing. As the missiles hit, they took a big chunk of the building causing debris to fall towards the young female hero and due to her strain she found herself unable to move, Richard/Night-Wing tried desperately to rush to her aide, however before he could move any further he witnessed a flash of green run towards the blonde, sweeping her off her feet and away from the potential incident, that green flash was none other than Beast boy in the form of a green ostrich, now slowing down considerably so that Terra could dismount from the bird, giving him the go to turn back to his boyish form.

Shaken up a bit, Terra had no other options but to utter the following words quietly.

"thanks… and sorry Beast boy….."

Beast boy however did not look pleased at all, in fact he looked morose and sullen, so with no words uttered from him he reached out gently and latched his hands on her shoulders, simply stating.

"i don't want your thank you's or need you to apologize… I just need to know one thing… why do you treat me like crap…..?"

In a genuine display of emotion,Terra letting go of her agendas or Death-Stroke's meticulous and complicated planning, she replied the following with her shoulders drooping.

"honestly I don't know….. I guess I'm one hell of a complicated girl…."

Beast boy at this stage had no problem accepting that answer, so with a small and Ernest smile he gestured her to join him back into the fight and wrap up this fiasco for the day.

As both Terra and Beast boy emerged on the battle field they both split up to assist the Titans the best they could with Beast boy without a second thought went to help Starfire with Plasmus and Terra went after Gizmo and if she was efficient enough, after phobia next.

Seeing how Gizmo was now resorting to use his machine guns and mandibles like extensions to impale Cyborg and Drill Wonder Girl full of holes, Terra knew that a close quarters match would be out of the questions, however she knew that prolonged long range fighting would leave her vulnerable again so with quick thinking, she conjured up a platform of rock to levitate on and a few extra rocks to use as projectiles, now waiting for the exact moment to strike, she saw the chance to charge. Charging head on she launched the rocks at the pint sized super villain, effectively destroying every gadget he could conjure himself, only for it to be destroyed a few seconds later creating a few dust clouds, using it as an advantage Terra in a quick flash flew right in delivering a strong punch to Gizmo's jaw sending him flying a few feet across the battlefield before losing consciousness, leaving Cyborg and Wonder Girl both impressed and a little worried, Cyborg was the first to speak up.

"not to say I like the fool all too much but damn….. can you knock him any harder?….. I don't think he's dead yet….." Cyborg made that statement with sarcasm and irony, to which Terra only gave him a look that conveyed .

'really…..?'

But before the conversation could continue further Terra felt suddenly weak at her knees and her head starting to throb something fierce, it only lasted a second but that second turned to be fatal because when Terra managed to get a hold of herself, she was now facing hordes of soldiers from the royal palace of Markovia approaching her way, she at first tried to escape but found that her legs were , getting a little nervous she reached her arms to manipulate the earth around her but to her horror she found her arms to be amputated, in reality however she was now sitting where she stood, enslaved to her own fears while the villainess Phobia came to approach her.

"don't bother to resist…. you're trapped within your worst fears…. so due wait patiently, you're about to be join your friends as well…."

Phobia feeling confident over her enemies was about to choose who her next victim should be but before she could even blink she felt being rushed by Kid Flash, obviously threatened by the display done on Terra, while Raven tried to trap the villainess with her own powers, just in case phobia was thinking on retreating. However by this point Kid Flash's prolonged fight was starting to wear him down so reluctantly she withdrew the trap she made to allow Kid Flash to get out and instead she drew around them a force field to block them from the villainess mind.

Meanwhile in the fight against Plasmus, Starfire by this point has already made a makeshift arena out of debris to try and keep the monster at bay, however that wasn't nearly enough so she opted to bombard him with star bolts from both her hands and eyes, while Beast boy at ground level tried to distract Plasmus for as long as he could just enough for Starfire to get a clear shot at him. Proving to be powerful, the star bolts effectively only slowed him down, yet the monster remained standing, however at that moment something clicked in Starfire's brain and before long concentrated most of her power into a blast that initially went over the monstrosity's head but in fact the shot was by design was supposed to be a miss cause the heat and radiation from that shot began to make the villain dry up, making the once mud like body of his feel like heated clay. Beast boy picking up on what's happening shouted at Starfire.

"hey….. throw me at the big zit….. quickly before he thaws out…."

With that said Starfire swooped down and threw Beast boy, now in the form of a rolled up armadillo, at Plasmus, waiting for the right moment before impact Beast boy transformed into a rhino at the very last second, the force causing the mucus like giant to shatter into a million pieces. Right before all the pieces fell to the ground, beast boy noticed a nude young man at the epicenter of what was once Plasmus so without thinking Beast boy turned human once again and sucker punched the young man across the jaw effectively knocking him unconscious before Starfire herself swooped in to carry the young man to police custody, which left Beast boy still flying across the battle field, catching a glimpse of Phobia and an unresponsive Terra.

'oh fuck… not good, not good… now relax Gar and think dammit… think'

At that moment it occurred to him, and making him feel like a dumb-ass, that he could transform into a bird or a creature of flight, so by sheer instinct he transformed into a falcon.

Flying over the battlefield as a falcon pushing about 50 MPH , Beast boy spotted the ensuing battle between Phobia, Kid Flash and Raven, originally he ventured to help both of his friends, however at that precise moment he caught a glimpse of the now immobile Terra, sensing fear for her and from her he dived at double the speed to see if there was anything he could do to help, once landing on the ground he turned human again and rushed to Terra's side.

"save it….. I'm fine….. get the bitch that did this to me to begin with…." Terra said, exhausted with concentration, trying to keep her fears in check. Beast boy was about to ask if she was absolutely sure but all he got in return was a stern expression that said 'I'm serious…. now hurry up will you'

With that being said, Beast boy took off yet again when he noticed that Starfire was providing him a distraction while she was engaging Phobia head on with support of her own by Night-wing, while Cyborg and Wonder Girl made sure the fight zone was clear of any innocent stragglers getting caught in the aftermath of what shaped to be so far as one ugly battle.

Transforming into a bangle tiger Beast boy made his way quickly towards the villainess back, hoping a good tackle plus a few scratches will render her distracted enough so that the other Titans could take her down easily, however as soon as he was about to get close enough to strike at her she caught a glimpse of him, effectively dodging so his pounce will work against him but not before leaving him a nasty surprise, she manipulated his brain as such that he would be forced to relieve his own worst memory, falling down the waterfall that killed his parents over and over again. Luckily for him though he landed close enough to the other Titans so they could provide cover for each other while Raven tried to do her best and treat his mental 'wounds'

'god…. I know I haven't talked to you a lot over the years but…. if you're listening….. we'll need a miracle on a biblical scale' Raven prayed silently while tending to her friend and teammate.

At that very moment though, as if that prayer was being answered, Terra wobbly got back to her feet, now seemingly in control of her own powers, tried to summon those very abilities to hopefully catch Phobia off guard by trying to manipulate the debris around her.

Quickly and silently Terra manipulated the debris and rocks around her right arm to form a makeshift javelin and in one fell swoop she conjured a flat surface to float on underneath her feet, using the distraction her 'teammates' created she rushed Phobia as fast as her abilities would allow it and rammed the javelin right between Phobia's shoulder blades causing a massive gash resulting in tremendous blood loss, sending the villainess into shock, releasing her hold on Beast boy, the teen managed to get up but after witnessing the sight of phobia in a pool of her own blood, whimpering from the pain he quickly caught on to the shock every other Titan that was around at the time.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence Raven recovered from her shock first, quickly making her way to stabilize the shocked villainess while Wonder Girl, Starfire Beast boy and Cyborg did their best to clear a path for the emergency response team that tried to make it to the crime scene, Richard/Night-wing on the other hand chose to address the elephant in the room, forgoing any sense of tact in the process.

"for your sake I seriously hope it was a gross miscalculation on your part…." Terra not batting an eyelash, simply replied stoical and quietly, almost to the point of muttering.

"actually it was a well calculated move….. unless you can consider killing her in self defense an option…."

Richard at this point felt himself getting enraged by the minute by the new recruit's 'attitude' so instead of lashing out he took a moment to breathe and then replied back now with a slightly raised tone.

"are you kidding me…..?, who do you think you are, deciding to be judge, jury or executioner….. take a look at Phobia…" he gestured to the fallen woman but a few feet away from them both.

"look don't think I don't understand how it feels like to be alone, but it's no excuse to throw caution into the wind and disregard the consequences of your actions….. we're both human over here, so there is no difference….. the same applies to the way you handled Gizmo as well."

At this point Tara/Terra held her head higher than before, replying with absolute somberness.

"there is one difference between us… I had no one to educate me…. or at least act like a worthy role model to follow….."

Richard hated to admit it, but she made a small point with what she said, well at least about the part about how damaging is not having someone to educate or guide you in a tough spot, so instead he sought out Starfire and letting her know that he would escort Phobia to the hospital before being shipped to prison, that is if she pulls through alive while the rest of the Titans headed back to the tower.

Titans tower, outside Terra's Room, a little while later.

When the titans got back to the tower, not a single one of them were in a triumphant mood, the very least not Beast boy who tried to act like the last few events didn't bother him one bit, but they have, he hoped that Tara would come find and confine in him and maybe make it easy for them to stomach those events, on the contrary Tara headed straight to her room, the second they reached the Titan's living room, Beast boy wanted to give chase but restrained himself for at least an hour before wondering off in her general direction.

Now he was facing her door, unsure of what to do, what to say, heck, if there was anything that could be said, so instead he tried knocking. he got no answer, so he waited for a bit and tried again, adjusting his ears to feel if there was any movement made on the other side, however he couldn't hear anything specific outside of a small grunt.

'must be sleeping…. good idea….'

With that he turned into a green house cat, made a few circles in place, before dropping gracefully on the floor, shutting his eyes for a little nap. A little while later Raven came across the green cat while trying to find a secluded place to read, however she was about to step on his tail before she stopped herself, looking around a bit she noticed where he fell asleep at which made her utter quietly.

"seriously….. why do you bother with her so much….?"

Raven, out of a small concern for the cat, had picked him up into her arms and decided to find for him a more safer spot for him to take a nap before someone really clumsy on the team steps on his tail or trampling him in general, Beast boy having felt her presence and her actions didn't mind that much so in a show of gratitude he nestled in her arms a little, purring in the process, making Raven blush a little in the process, muttering to herself.

"because it's you…."

Raven at first thought of taking Beast boy someplace warm and secluded for him to continue his nap, she thought at first about her room but it was difficult for her to open up to her friend that much to allow just him that privilege, besides the suggestive idea behind that was too much to dwell on it right now, especially if you count today's unfortunate events, so she thought of the next best thing which was the tower's roof.

Once both teens got to the roof, Raven situated Beast boy gently next to her while she opted to sit Indian style and continue her reading, while he continued sleeping and purring loudly with delight.

It's been roughly an hour after both Teens made themselves comfortable on the roof and while Raven quietly read her book, Beast boy decided to wake up and revert back to his human self, and while he was well rested, he still looked a bit nervous and on edge, trying to figure out something.

"hey Rae….. I mean Raven… thanks for the favor and all, but I have something to do….. so thanks for everything….. enjoy the book….."

But before he could take a few more steps Raven raised a force field with her powers, making him smack his head comically, now nursing his forehead a bit, Raven replied back.

"you're not doing anything without talking to me… now first of all who is she to you….. and why do you want to go out of your way to stick your nose in her business….?"

Beast boy knowing all too well that when Raven meant something, she meant it, so with no other choice available to him he sat back down.

"that's funny I thought I told you guys already….. didn't I…..?" Raven gave him a nod saying no, so he decided to get into a little more detail.

"a few years ago, I stumbled my way joining into another super hero team by the name of Doom Patrol, a group that took the most bizzare cases in regards to meta human and super villains sightings… long story summarized, the Doom Patrol took on an assignment in eastern Europe where a meta was causing a bit of a scene, turns out that it was a little girl named Tara being hunted by her own people across the continent….. so back to your questions…. being the only kid in a group of adults was fun and extremely lonely, so Tara was my first friend at my age… so I bother because I don't want to lose this friendship….. not to mention she reminds me of what I could've become if I wasn't that lucky to find friends and family….."

Raven after hearing that felt she wasn't given much options but to let Beast boy go, however she did make one stipulation.

"I'm letting you go… however promise me something…"

Beast boy only gave a small nod for her to continue, giving her his full attention.

"don't be too pushy….. and yes you have a tendency for that….."

Beast boy only gave a timid yet endearing smile while replying the following.

"have I ever let you down…?"

Raven gave him an intense stare in return that said 'frequently' so Beast boy in return sheepishly chuckled before turning around and heading back to the tower, leaving Raven in privacy with her book, a few minutes has past before Raven felt Beast boy coming back and saying.

"thanks for listening… it means a lot to me…."

Titan's guest room, with Terra.

Since Terra/Tara returned back to her room in the tower, she laid there in bed most of the afternoon trying to calm herself, trying to think and reflect on her actions, tossing and turning in the process.

'Jesus Christ I fucked up really badly….. not only didn't I earn the Titan's trust….. I actually lost it… now how do I recover and salvage it… Sanctimonious bastards….. now what would Death-stroke would do…..?'. she tried to think hard for a few minutes before it suddenly hit her like a bolt out of the blue.

'yes convince them that all I need is time for myself to get my shit together….. they're already a bunch of saps… on the bright side that dumb fuck Beast boy believes me… hell he'll believe anything with a pair of tits and a vagina.'

With a plan in motion she got up and started pacing in her room trying to think of exactly what to say and how to say it, a few moments has passed and by then she already roughly figured it out, now she returned to her bed, now truly resting from the day's events.

As evening descended on Titan's tower every Titan around the kitchen was helping out with dinner preparations like Cyborg and Beast boy setting up the plates and silverware on the table, Kid Flash on cooking duty for the team since self proclaimed best buddies Cyborg and Beast boy couldn't be trusted to handle cooking without starting world war III and Richard was incharge to make sure everyone was right on time and to make sure that Beast boy and Cyborg won't start world war III regardless. At this point however he found himself unable to focus since the incident with Terra never left his mind. Speaking of the devil Terra/Tara walks out into the kitchen with streets clothes now facing directly in front of Richard's face.

"listen… about today, I won't say I'm sorry because that doesn't erase what I've done or helps anybody in the long run… so I decided to leave the Titans for a while….."

At this point everyone stopped what they were doing, giving her their complete attention and a sign to continue.

"it's not indefinite….. it's just for a little while, so I can get a better grip on my powers and temper anyway…."

Richard not really knowing how to approach this situation, settled on giving her an understanding look that said. 'it was never my intention to make you leave, so no hard feelings' Tara only responded with.

"don't worry about it….. it's for the best anyway…"

In his mind Richard for some reason began to feel a little suspicious but instead of showing it he offered a hand shake that said 'happy trails' which in return Tara accepted, a moment afterwards she shook hands with Cyborg and Kid Flash and when Beast boy approached her she surprised him and everyone else by giving him a small chaste kiss on the lips leaving Beast boy and everyone else in the room stunned, after that all eyes went on a stunned Beast boy with looks of curiosity, amusement and disbelief, to which Beast boy, now taking a moment to try and process what happened, to no success whatsoever, simply asked the following.

"what….?"

And an awkward silence ensued after that question was asked leaving Beast boy even more confused than before, if that was even possible.

As Terra walked out of Titan's tower she considered if she should get a cab to her flat, however she knew from experience that the cabbies in this city will likely act like complete bastards and try to overprice the fare, so she chose an easier and cheaper way to get around town, using her powers to levitate over the city.

Back at Terra's flat, around midnight.

Terra entered into her apartment not caring if she wakes up anyone in this hour, dropping the belongings she came with from Titan's tower, making herself more comfortable she strips her boots, pants and shirt until she's completely naked and with her feet she shuts the door to her apartment. Heading towards her phone to see if anyone left any messages, she walks by her living room to notice that it's slightly organized.

"tell me you weren't this careless with the Titans as much as you are around with me…"

Terra having no mood for Death-Stroke's cryptic methods just snapped at him.

"go fuck yourself you asshole… I'm handling things as I see them fit for the moment… speaking of moment... and fucking….."

Before she finished her sentence, Death-Stroke cut in immediately.

"cut the crap… you know very well that you're not my type… now what do you want….."

Terra took a moment to compose herself, feeling pissed off that she wouldn't take a taste of his cock, she straightened herself out before replying back.

"it's taking too long to win them over… I need to bring them results….. I need to capture you….."

Death-Stroke from the shadows of the apartment he was hiding in studied his partner's shifty and psychotic little face before choosing to leave with the following message.

"you better not disappoint then."

As Death-Stroke disappeared into the night without giving Terra any idea on what he was about to do, she decided on getting a goodnight sleep instead of wracking her brain on how to actually locate him or tracking his movements.

The very next morning Richard dressed in a new outfit that indicated his new persona as Night-wing, covered by civilian clothing, was making his way to Jump's general hospital to check up on the villainess Phobia driving an 1975 MG Midget for extra anonymity

As he drove along on the way to the hospital, he rang Donna up asking her to meet him up there for mental support and backup, he wasn't what you call insecure or even paranoid, he just shared his mentor's tendency for covering all the details and being as pragmatic as possible leaving little to no room for chance or coincidence.

Jump City general hospital, a few moments later.

As Richard was pulling towards the parking lot of the hospital, he slipped quickly the new domino mask over his eyes after spotting where Donna Troy was waiting for him, as he got out of his 1975 MG Midget he chose to speak first.

"thanks…." Donna was puzzled for a bit about his gratitude so she just opted to ask.

"for what…..?"

"for not making me beg you to come…"

Donna was making now a mock expression of insult before asking with a sarcastic edge.

"really….. is that how you see me….. for shame Dick Grayson….. for shame….."

Picking up on the humor in that retort Richard/Night-wing simply shot back the following dry remark.

"can you say my name a little louder the next time?… I don't think they heard you all the way back in Cuba.

As of right now both teens began to laugh with each other as they made their way to the hospital's reception desk.

Richard and Donna reached the hospital reception and they were greeted immediately by D.A Adrian Chase, who in turn filled them in that Phobia survived her ordeal and now was recuperating for about two weeks before she would be shipped out to prison, with that Richard and Donna made arrangements with Chase to provide extra security for the prison transport.

A middle class apartment, Jump City residential areas.

Slade Wilson/Death-stroke was sitting in a modestly furnished flat in front of a television set trying to find news broadcasts regarding to his targets The Teen Titans in an attempt to figure out what they were up to, he would have kept a close eye and ear on them via surveillance but due to Terra's impulsive nature and knack for improvisation it made that prospect unlikely at this point, thankfully enough The Titans always managed to get themselves on the news to some capacity, he quickly managed to piece together where the Titans would most likely be, so he got up, grabbed his phone and punched in a number.

"wintergreen, prepare my gear until I arrive… we've got a recon mission to conduct….."

Wintergreen from the other line just responded the following.

"very well sir… now about our young recruit… what shall we do with her…..?"

"we tell her nothing….. if we play it just right….. she may get the redemption she deserves and we can continue the mission on schedule….."

With that Death-Stroke gave a formal farewell and hung up the phone, now getting ready to head out to his base of operations/sanctuary, which was his mansion, located north to the city, in the meantime he couldn't help but having this next thought.

'Tara….. I hope to god you're not trying to screw me over… no matter how good you are or how talented… if you fuck with me….. nobody will ever find your body when I'm done with you…'

With that said Death-Stroke reached the garage and entered a black Lamborghini Miura, starting it and heading due north.

Two weeks went by quickly and Tara couldn't give a damn about Death-Stroke or the Titans, she mostly spent her time with lazying about in her flat, tearing up the nightclubs scene, ending mostly with one night stands with both men and women, hell why discriminate? The sexes are equal, and on occasion a half heartened patrol of the city looking for Death-Stroke or training whenever Beast boy tried to contact her by text or phone call.

At this point in time Terra was flying above Jump's highway using a patch of ground to make herself stable, when she spotted Slade Wilson on the side of the road in one of his many sports cars preparing a high powered sniper rifle, before getting back inside, heading up in her opposite direction continuing driving down the road.

'where are you going you old bastard….'

Quickly she changed direction and started to tail him, following him up all the way down to a side street, seeing him in the process ditching the car and walking up to the middle of the road with his rifle in tow and waiting for someone or something to happen. Deciding to tear her gaze from him for a few minutes she tried to figure out what he was up to, she scanned ahead for a few minutes before catching a glimpse of what was supposed to be a convoy comprised of a tactical van a half dozen police cars and an ambulance. Terra took all that information in while doing her best to find an hiding spot as to not get detected by Death-Stroke again, leading her to one conclusion.

'oh fuck… that Phobia bitch must be getting transferred from the hospital straigh to jail… which means those sanctimonious Titan's must be guarding her right now…. what an idiot and he calls me reckless…..?'

In the meantime Death-Stroke waited for the convoy to get a little bit closer as he was now preparing to fire the rifle trying to choose a target, either a driver in one of the police cruisers or the driver in the tactical van, making sure in the progress he has both regular bullets and armor piercing one's.

Meanwhile all Terra could think about was.

'should I stop him now… or should I stop him after he tries to start massacring the idiots in the those wheeled tin cans….. Eh let's just wait this one out….'

Meanwhile with the convoy and the Teen Titans, inside the ambulance.

Night-wing and Beast boy were escorting the first response team making sure nothing happens to the now heavily sedated Phobia, with the former leader now riding shotgun while Beast boy provided extra security for the patient. Well at least that how he repeated it in his head in an attempt to alleviate the sense the claustrophobia and motion sickness he felt at that moment, however it did not help so he tapped lightly so Night-wing would pay him a little attention.

"hey bird man… can I get out and stretch my legs for a bit…. not feeling too good in here….."

Night-wing having heard this comment from beast boy since he still was Robin sighed a little before replying the following.

"got something better for ya….. stretch your wings and fly up ahead….. scout the area for traffic jams….. oh and it's Night-wing by the way…" by the time Night-wing finished his sentence he noticed a green falcon flying next to his window.

'and he didn't stick around….. oh well…'

Beast boy in the meantime flew ahead of the convoy keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary and at first he didn't see anything, that is untill he noticed Terra hiding in a side alley, he wanted to swoop in for a quick hello but he noticed Terra pointing at something so he averted his gaze only to be shocked by what he saw, so in mid flight he transformed into a parakeet, flying back to the convoy as fast as his wings could now take him.

Flying as close as he can to Night-wings window seat without hitting incoming traffic the green parakeet started repeating the same phrase over and over again.

'danger ahead… danger ahead….. danger ahead…' while squaking in between every few sentences, Night-wing to his credit quickly understood and simply asked back.

"what danger…..?"

'Death-stroke….. Death-stroke…. Death-stroke…."

Exactly at that moment Death-Stroke took one shot with an armor piercing bullet at the driver of the tactical van right between the eyes, making the van swerve out of control and on the brink of crashing, but before anything else could happen he witnessed Kid flash phasing through the truck saving as many officers as possible before the van tipped to the sides creating a makeshift blockade, making the best of the opportunity Death-Stroke shot a few more rounds in the van causing it catch fire and explode which sent quite a few motorist and padestrians into a panicked riot.

With the Titans.

Night-wing thanks to Beast boy's warning managed to minimize the accident that happened, however the Titans were not out of danger yet.

"Starfire, raven, Wonder Girl, Cyborg….. we need backup ASAP… how far are you…..?"

"a few minutes away…" Raven responded back with a calm tone, yet it held a little edge. "think you can hang tight until we arrive…..?"

Night-wing just responded with the following.

"believe me I don't have a real choice in the matter…"

With that Night-wing ended the conversation and tried to locate the other Titans, he witnessed Kid Flash preoccupying himself with both saving police men trapped near the fire trying to use his speed to put up the fires, while beast boy tried his hand at best at crowd control.

"Beast boy, backup is coming soon….. protect the ambulance… if Phobia escapes on us or die on our watch we're fucked…."

Beast boy did not respond back, he only gave a quick nod saying silently 'I got it' while escorting the last group of civilians he rescued from the accident, in the meantime Night-wing made his way over to Death-Stroke, Death-Stroke only slightly smiled when he saw who's coming towards him.

'it's about time'

When both Night-wing and Death=Stroke came face to face with each other, both took a moment to size each other up, both waiting patiently until Death-Stroke broke his silence.

"well I'm slightly impressed….. the Robin I knew would've tried to lunge at my throat by now….."

Night-wing with a laid back tone, but a posture ready and alert simply replied with.

" two things, one, Robin passed away a few months ago, second, the Death-Stroke I know would've lectured me by now that the art of the conversation is lost on some people…"

Death-Stroke only gave a slight nod saying silently 'what's true is true' before taking his first move throwing a series of rapid punches towards Night-wing's face which in turn the young hero barely blocked until he managed to find a small opening to propel himself off the ground and give Death-stroke a kick in the face which he took head on throwing Night-wing off of him, however the hero managed to land safely before producing two escrima sticks and in turn Death-Stroke produced a Bowie knife from his right boot in return before the two enemies clashed with each other yet again.

Meanwhile Terra observed carefully on the battlefield and inspected where she should emerge, and at this point it became clear to her where to start, with the fire.

With Kid Flash in the middle of the fire.

"i don't know if anyone's listening or not but I think I'll lay off the barbecue for a little while….. actually thank goodness no one did listen…. that joke was damn awful….."

At this rate Kid Flash could only increase the whirlwinds he created with his arms for so long until he would end up completely spent, which is what was about to happen for the next few minutes until he heard someone say.

"winds only intensifies the fire… you should try dirt or sand genius….."

Before he could retort, Terra came riding in followed by what could only be described as a massive wave of sand and dirt, which helped significantly in putting most of the fire out.

Kid Flash just stood there dumbfounded, well at least to Terra when in reality he was desperately fishing up for clever one liners/ sarcastic jabs of his own to the whole genius situation having got stuck on at least two really good ones like.

'hey it's the fifth wheel nobody asked for' or ' are you off on good behavior or are you off your meds?'

But before he could speak again he saw that most of the fires were put out and that the rest of the Titans arrived just in the nick of time, with Starfire and Wonder Girl heading to assist Night-wing in battle, a battle that in the meantime developed into a stalemate, Terra for once after a while, has offered to provide Beast boy to guard Phobia while Raven, Cyborg and soon after Kid Flash as well remained in the epicentre of the incident to provide medical care.

With Beast boy near the ambulance.

Beast boy kept guard of the ambulance and it's occupants like a hawk but still his mind couldn't help but worry about his friends risking their lives on the battle front, before his mind could race any further in swooped Terra near by him.

"no time for hello's Beast boy, Kid Flash sent me, said that Night-wing needs one last push to defeat Death-Stroke once and for all….."

Needing her to say no more, Beast boy gave her a quick bear hug before rushing out on the front line, almost shouting the following.

"Terra watch over Phobia… make sure nothing happens to her or the medics guarding her…."

Terra gave him a quick nod in confirmation, waiting for him to completely vanish from her sight, before abandoning her post and finding a place to hide. Waiting for either Death-Stroke to be too distracted to notice her or for him to wear himself out defeating a few of the Titans before she would heroicley swoop in to save the day and earn the Titan's complete trust once and for all.

'simple enough…. don't screw this up old girl…'

Terra continued to psych herself up as she continued waiting while Death-Stroke in the meantime was keeping himself busy dodging Night-wing's punches, kicks and various projectiles while Starfire constantly tried to blind him with her star bolts or evaded capture by Wonder Girl, in the meantime Beast boy tried a sneaky approach by transforming into a Spinifex Hopping mouse, gingerly hopping his way across the battle ground before changing yet again into a kangaroo, only this time he transformed mid jump trying to surprise Death-Stroke with a kangaroo's kick packing an extra wallop, however that didn't go quite as planned, Beast boy did manage to surprise his enemy but he missed his trajectory which gave Death-Stroke time to recover and by doing so exposing himself to a counter attack, in return Death-Stroke grabbed him by the ankle as Beast boy turned human once more and with a little effort threw the young hero towards a side of a building, causing Beast boy to break his back, right leg and pop his left shoulder as a result of the collision.

Witnessing what has happened before them, all three Titans now fighting Death-Stroke got a kick in their steps causing Starfire to barrage her enemy with star bolts to further confuse him while Wonder Girl tackled the mercenary head on with a punch to the gut while Night-wing delivering a finishing blow to the face effectively sending him a few feet away rendering him unconscious.

Turning their attention to their fallen comrade, they witnessed that Raven without uttering a single word was already trying to heal him to the best of her abilities or at the very least trying to alleviate the pain as much as possible with a grim expression on her face.

"you're a damn fool….. do you have a death wish…..?"

Beast boy couldn't talk from the pain he was experiencing, however he did manage to say silently with the expression on his face 'I'm sorry' while small stream of tears rolled down his face.

In the meantime Death-Stroke regained consciousness and slowly but surely he reached for his assault rifle until he felt the weight of a boot coming down on his hand. He didn't need to know who it belonged to.

"stay put… if you know what's good for you….."

Death-Stroke at this moment was experiencing a variety of different emotions, none of them were satisfaction, however he chose to maintain a neutral facade to lure Terra/Tara into a sense of confidence so that she would foolishly let her guard down enough for him to escape, that however was fools hope since he trained her to avoid such mistake, so instead he chose to play to a weakness he knew she had no control over, her sense of pride.

"my my…. how the mighty Tara Markov has gone soft… from a strong survivalist into a naive idiot… an idiot with a code of conduct masked as a moral high ground….."

Terra/Tara tried to ignore the taunts of the older man in the pricey Halloween costume however deep inside she reminded herself that her act isn't over yet, so she decided instead of crushing him under rock and debris to play fire with fire.

"funny coming from you….. a prideful fool who boasts that he doesn't resort to cheap tactics… yet again, you're just an old man who lets his grief over his dysfunctional family guide his every action… "

Death-Stroke said nothing, instead he shot venom filled daggers at Terra with his eyes saying silently.

'tread lightly… you spill my secrets… and I'll spill yours…..'

At this point in time Terra released her foot's grip from his hand but not before jamming his high powered rifle with debris, rendering it useless for him, now it was time for her to put the finishing touches to her act, crouching towards him when none of the Titans where looking.

"follow my lead I've got an idea that could make us both look good…"

Death-Strokes responded silently back to his accomplice.

"like you left me any choice…."

Terra could only feel smug right now when she turned to Night-wing, telling him the following.

"I'm heading back to guard the ambulance…. I can trust you to take care of him…?"

Night-wing gave Terra a funny look honestly not knowing how to respond to that comment but by the time he got himself back into a focused mindset,Terra has already took off back to her post guarding the ambulance.

When Terra returned to the ambulance she notified the drivers that the emergency and threat was neutralized and with that she started manipulating the earth around her to clear the debris and 'accidentally' ripping through the breaks and fuel lines of the ambulance itself. Hanging back she let the ambulance drivers try and start the vehicle yet again causing more fuel to leak out from the ruptured lines, now acting quickly and discretely she manipulated a couple of small stones to create a small spark, slowly catching fire.

Terra moved towards the other Titans in a small attempt not to become an obvious suspect in the crime that is about to be committed and seeing Kid Flash and Cyborg heading her way made her think the next thought.

'a better opportunity than this just can't be.'

Before anything else could happen, an explosion erupted behind Terra startling her for a second, with a quick reflex she raised a shield of stone surrounding her, Cyborg and Kid Flash protecting them from most of the ensuing debris, leaving her to wonder only the following.

'shit….. I did it either too early, or it went off too fast'

Having heard and felt some of it Death-Stroke used the opportunity to produce a smoke grenade, using its effect to confuse the Titans even more so than they already were to make a strategical retreat, the only ones who weren't confused were Night-wing, who bitterly had to let Death-Stroke escape so he could focus on saving his friends and possible survivors, and Raven, who just so happened to wonder to herself something.

'was it a freak accident?… or a deliberate act?… for the moment there's no evidence to back that up…. is it me or all those freak accidents happen whenever Terra involves herself with our lives…. on that note can I or we really trust her…..'

Dispelling her thoughts and musings she returned to healing Beast boy at the moment who still needed a lot more medical care than expected.

At the site of the explosion Terra panted hard as the sudden output of energy made her muscles sore and tense, yet she made an herculean effort to address the Titans she has saved.

"anyone alive over here?"

Kid Flash true to his abilities was the first and quickest to response, followed by a silence acknowledgement from Cyborg.

"well since we're both still raw instead of well done or charbroiled…..then yeah…. you did a great job kid….."

With a small smile Terra now allowed herself to release her tense muscles, making her collapse on the spot, however before she could hit the ground Kid Flash swooped in to carry her and gently let her rest away from the searing heat, while Cyborg rallied Night-wing, Wonder Girl and Starfire to contain the fire as much as possible so the coroners that would inevitably arrive would have at least something to work on.

In the meantime Kid Flash quickly reached Raven, asking her the following.

"not to tear you away from your husband over here… but can you give a quick diagnostic to Terra doc…..?"

Sighing in defeat, knowing that the running joke she shared with Beast boy won't fade away anytime soon, turned around for a quick second, using her emphatic abilities she concentrated for a bit on Terra.

"she's tired and dehydrated… all she needs physically is a lot of water and a lot of rest…"

Kid Flash nodded and was about to ask another question but Raven beat him to the punch.

"if you're gonna ask if she needs her head examined…. leave it to an actual paid professional… the only thing I know for sure is that it's above my pay grade."

Kid Flash nodded intently while thinking to himself.

'superheroes don't get payed anyway…..'

After the Titans helped the EMT and police forces clear the damage, rescuing trapped civilians and treating their own, Night-wing has volunteered to try and pick up the trail after Death-Stroke once more, citing that the day isn't over until he was sure the sworn enemy of the Titans wasn't planning giving an anchor performance anytime soon, while the rest took a few moments to collect themselves mentally.

Terra amid all the confusion and chaos that happened, was seemingly taking a rest when in actuality she was getting a good read on everyone, trying to asses her work in a low key manner.

'Night-wing, former leader of the Titans, formerly known as Robin…. a pragmatist to the end… note to self… make sure my actions… Wonder Girl, not much is known about her… I have to make sure to learn more about her before I make a mistake that could ruin my mission….. on that note I can approach her and bond with her over the fact that I have a shaky history with my past… Starfire, a literal foreigner… no mystery about how I can make her trust me… Kid Flash… keep my tongue sharp and my responses even faster… Cyborg, the big brother of the group… play up my naivete….. Raven… keep her the closest, while keeping myself closed off around her… and Beast boy…. ha, already eating out of the palm of my hand…'

On the way back to the tower, Beast boy was squirming in discomfort in the back seat, next to Raven while Terra from the front seat stole a few quick glances at him, Cyborg at the wheel of the T car started a conversation with her.

"worried about tough guy over there?…. you don't have to greengo is tough as they come….."

Playing the innocent card, Terra spoke up focusing on him.

"i don't know if he's tough enough to make it to med bay with injuries as acute as that….. please let me carry him over there with my powers….. please I already feel useless as it is, not helping catch Death-Stroke before he escaped….."

Cyborg's only response was.

"since I owe you from before…. I'll give you this little favor….. just make sure to be gentle…"

Terra without even blinking or reacting to that comment waited for Cyborg to pull over before gently removing Beast boy from the car and laying him on a small platform she made out of nearby rocks and flew away with him back to the tower, once there she carried him inside before meeting up with Starfire and Kid Flash, who in return offered to examine her health as well, Terra however politely refused before she bid everyone farewell, again they offered her the guest room in the tower but she cited that she didn't feel ready enough to return into a group dynamic, opting to leave a number and forwarding contact before returning to her flat.

Once she returned to her flat, Terra ,with great difficulty, started to strip her costume completely and make herself a decadent but well deserved snack, well at least in her eyes, spending a few days just lazying about in her home.

In the meantime Beast boy was spending a few days also trying to rest in the Titan's tower medical wing, however due to an immense pain he was feeling he didn't get the chance to rest, much so a chance to drift in and out of consciousness.

Titan's tower, medical wing, a few days later.

Beast boy was currently in the middle of his lunch, a strawberry and melon flavored jellos, which was proving to be torture for him cause even when the food was moist and soft, eating it still caused him some jolts of pain, in the meantime Raven was coming in for a visit.

"how are you feeling Beast boy… healing nicely I suppose?"

Beast boy now in a state of complete relaxed and pain free state of mind replied the following.

"well considering that this plate of jello can hold itself together better than I can… I feel peachy…. and Raven, not to be rude but you're not a person to make small talk….. so let's talk shop…. what's on your mind?….."

Raven a little taken aback by how sharp Beast boy was being, retained her stoic mannerism while replying.

"it's nothing really… just some thoughts that are driving me restless….. but they can wait after you get better….."

Beast boy tried answering back but he found himself in a great discomfort so he tried re-positioning himself on his bed before he started a second time.

"honestly, I think I know what and who you're trying to talk about…. and if it wasn't for her, I guess I'll still do what I did, cause that's who I am…..".

"so you agree with me…..?" Raven asked curiously,relieved on the inside that she didn't have to spell it out in an awkward manner.

"I'm not sure just yet… but I do think that I should keep a closer eye on her…."

"maybe even two….." Raven added sarcastically, resisting to roll her eyes at the thought that she just made a typical Beast boy joke.

"you know me too well Rae…"

"Raven" was the only response he got from the empath before she disappeared from the room using a portal, only to comeback a few seconds later with a radio set in hands, leaving Beast boy to quirk an eyebrow in the process.

"i brought you a radio, so you won't moan and complain how boring it is in here….."

Before Beast boy could continue this conversation Raven disappeared yet again via a portal, leaving Beast boy yet again a little startled and a little perplexed at this turn of events.

'note to self… remember to ask Raven if she's stealing tricks from Batman's playbook'

With that Beast boy shook off the confusion and started messing around with the radio hoping from station to station until he found a favorite single of his playing back, that song is A long long way to go by Sting and Phil Collins respectively, he didn't care that the song had a somber tone to it, for him it was a reminder to keep on trying and moving forward.

Unbeknownst to him Raven was on the other side of the room, allowing herself to smile for a bit before going on about her day with a determined look on her face.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 08: dangerous games

Three months have past since Terra/Tara had a run in with the Titans, honestly it could've been another three and she wouldn't bat an eyelash, in those months all of her concerns were lying in with being as lazy as humanly possible, the only physical activity she would've bothered with doing were either horizontal or the occasional vertical just for variety's sake.

At this moment in time Tara had returned to her home at about 05:00 in the morning after spending the night away partying, being a touch drunk and by touch it meant completely hammered, having established that she returned ti her apartment building making one hell of a noise on her way back to her flat, once there she wobbled her way to her bed/couch, at this point it all blended in together, allowing herself to crash on it and fall asleep without a care in the world.

Tara slept for about five to six hours before a loud bang coming from the outside of her door woke her up, trying to ignore it she went back to sleep only to hear the banging continue, following by undistinguished shouting and cursing, now pissed off she went to the door opening it to find an elderly man around the age of sixty, wearing nothing but a tank top and striped boxers, that didn't stop Tara from shouting in his face.

"what…?"

The old man feeling pissed off by now shouted back.

"keep it down you dumb broad….. some of us are trying to sleep for weeks….. failing no thanks to….."

But before he could complete his sentence he was met with a punch straight to his nose, making him lose balance and sliding across the hall, with Tara only muttering in response.

"sleep tight….. Ass-wipe….."

Without a care Tara slammed the door and returned to her couch crashing it once more.

For the next week or so Tara proceeded to live her life without a care in the world, or at least that statement would've been true if it was not for the fact that she felt she was being watched, excluding Death-Stroke, which turned her on something fierce, this time she knew it was different, for one thing she noticed the same car being parked just outside of her apartment for most of the day, a black 1967 GAZ Volga 24 Sedan sporting the appropriate Russian diplomatic license plate but the driver and passengers were anything but diplomatic looking, they resembled in build to SPETSNAZ operatives, which managed to do the rare and it's to make Tara feel nervous and uneasy, even more rare was that Tara chose to flee her apartment at this point instead of crushing them under a mount of rock and dirt.

Mean while in Titans tower ops room, Night-wing was currently scanning the police channels and traffic cameras for any crimes being committed at the moment when he received an incoming video call by none other than his adoptive father and mentor, without even thinking Night-wing accepted the call, greeting Batman in the flash.

"I'm taking a wild guess this isn't a social call… is it old man…..?"

Batman remained stoic even though inside he felt a tinge of pride welling up that Richard/Night-wing didn't let his teachings go to waste. Instead he opted to reply the following.

"pleasantries can come later, this cannot, a highly skilled assassin and a member of a rouge soviet secret agency, going by the code name KGBeast has been spotted near Jump City for the last several weeks….. you and the rest of the Titans are to remain vigilant at all time."

Richard/Night-wing took note of Batman's warning, thanking him in the process, choosing to end the conversation with.

"stay safe old man and my regards to the rest of the family… even my 'successor'."

"I'll be sure to let them know….. Batman out….."

With that Night-wing was left alone to wrap his head about the upcoming clusterfuck the Titans have gotten themselves mixed up this time.

After taking a few minutes to rest Night-wing was about to head out to the living room, intent on telling the Titans of the latest development, however he saw from one of the monitors something that piqued his curiosity and interest, he witnessed Tara running towards a phone booth downtown which made him instantly think.

'wonder what's that about… anyway better inform the team about the news'

Tara Markov wondered the streets of Jump City trying to shake her tail while also scouring the area for a phone booth, locating one she quickly made her way towards it, once she was there she made a phone call to Slade Wilson, unfortunately it went straight to voice mail.

'you've reached the phone of Slade Wilson, state your business.'

Feeling frustrated and pissed off Tara never once tried to hide that fact, leaving the following message.

"Slade you better be there you dip shit, what's the idea of sending ex Russian special forces after me….. is this your idea of a joke?… you'll better pray to god that I'll find you in a good mood or I'll swear to god I'll twist your neck while caving your remaining good eye….."

Feeling no better about herself Tara tried to take the edge off, trying to breathe deep for a few moments, taking the time to thing of a solution to her problem.

'let's see killing them would attract too much attention…. running, not really an option because I don't have anywhere to hide… only leaves me with The Teen Titans… god what a bunch of pussies…..'

With that Tara started heading towards Titan's tower, all the while berating herself for having stooping that low out of desperation.

'damn it Tara…. you have gotten soft….. fuck'

Tara was as of right now floating on a patch of rocks and dirt to conserve her energies spent on running and hiding from her tail.

In the meantime Night-wing managed to inform most of the Titans on the latest with the bat related news, the only ones who didn't get the memo were Beast boy who was currently out of the tower handling personal affairs and Kid Flash, who was out of town, currently dating a girl who by all means was a real life representation of the main title character in Stephen King's Carrie.

Speaking of pairs, Cyborg and Wonder Girl were working out as gym partners while Night-wing was currently 'debriefing' Starfire in private, code for a noisy early noon quickie only slightly muffled by the only single female among the Titans, Raven, who turned the sound level even higher so she could catch up to her recently new mental exercise, the TV show Miami Vice, ironically she was expecting to be loudly interrupted by the loudest member of the Titans Beast boy, since she sensed his arrival, but to her surprise Beast boy just unassumingly entered the room, quietly mumbling to himself.

Pausing the TV show Raven addressed him without making eye contact.

"got marbles in your mouth?…. spit it out already Beast boy….."

Beast boy finally snapping out of it acknowledged Raven with a reply.

"sorry about that… I'm mentally preparing myself before going into a battle with an infamous ice queen."

"Killer Frost….?" Raven asked back, which made Beast boy laugh a little.

"i wish I was that lucky….. now I got bamboozled into guest appearing on Bethany Snow's talk show….."

Raven now turned around to give Beast boy a silent look that said 'makes sense' before continuing watching her show, Beast boy having nothing better to do at the moment joined her on the couch only to leap out of it again to make himself a bowl of pop corn, once that was done he rejoined her on the couch, a few minutes of silence passed and Beast boy at this point was marveling at how Raven could be so laser focused on the show, witnessing that the focus was on the main leading actors he could pass up on his next remark.

"remind me to wear pastels more often….."

Rather than fall into an all out war of quips, Raven opted to stay silent while keeping track of what happened in the current episode she was watching, however all of a sudden she felt the presence of Terra getting closer, getting louder and louder, like a subway train was about to run her over, in that instance she knew what she had to do.

"Beast boy get to cover now…" Raven shouted as loud and clear as she could muster, Beast boy trusting Raven hit the deck as quickly as he could, mere moments before the main living room window shattered to a million pieces.

A few moments earlier.

Terra still floating on the pile of rocks she conjured up together was now rested and relaxed enough to try and make sense of what happened, she knew someone was following her but she didn't know exactly why or who, she knew for certain though that it was a great opportunity to win the Titan's trust once and for all, trying to play innocent won't work with them and sharing info won't do any good because what she knew was vague, so she kept on going, trusting she'll figure out something by the time she gets there, in time she reached the mile stone where she could see Titans tower from a distance and that's when it hit her, or at least it was about to.

'Jesus fucking Christ… that's seriously gonna hurt in the morning… hoping that I'll have a morning…'

With that Terra/Tara sped up towards the biggest window she could find in the tower and in the very last second before impact she loosened her control over her rock constructs to make it seem like she lost control, making an emergency landing instead of a deliberate crash, although minor technicalities like that didn't matter much since the last thing she clearly remembered was loosing massive amounts of blood and blacking out.

Without realizing what happened Tara/Terra regained consciousness for a brief moment to see what appeared to be a mass af green blurs before collapsing unconscious again but this time by what no doubt was exhaustion.

Several hours later, Titans tower med bay, late afternoon.

Beast boy was currently visiting Tara/Terra a second time making sure she's properly medicated and overall comfortable, when he overhears the following conversation between Raven and Night-wing.

"any luck on reading our favorite disappearing reappearing blonde yet?"

"not yet, honestly I'm more concentrating on our current tourist from the soviet union….."

"how so…?"

"do you believe in coincidences…?"

The conversation soon went quiet after that, leaving beast boy to focus his gaze on his 'childhood' friend, trying to wrap around his head regarding their acquaintance.

'first I meet this frightened little girl in eastern Europe, I part ways with her… the next thing I know she leaves me no choice but to let her stow away underneath the nose of the Doom Patrol, which disappointed Rita and Pisses off Steven… next thing I know I try to plead them for you to join the patrol, only to discover you pulled a 'Batman act' on all of us…. now you return to my life a few years later stuck under Death-Stroke's thumb….. who are you Tara…..?'

Before he could continue his musings, Tara squirmed a little in bed before muttering softly the following.

"staring at 'sleeping beauty' all day won't wake her up….. you should find the balls to try and kiss her you fool….."

Beast boy started laughing a little before replying back.

"first….. I'm no prince charming, I'm the court's jester….. second this isn't the time or place for that….."

At that moment he could hear Raven's voice from behind him saying.

"i couldn't agree more, besides you need an actual beauty… you're just sleeping."

On the outside Terra/Tara seemed to be calm and composed however on the inside she was livid due to the not so subtle insult thrown at her so she tried to contain her rage and anger by throwing an insult of her own.

"are you by any chance calling me ugly?….. I'm not sure if you know….. but it takes one to know one…"

Terra/Tara at this point hoped to offend Raven enough to at least distract her from poking around in her business, the last thing those naive fuckers needed to know was that she deliberately went flying through a fucking window, however to her surprise and annoyance Raven did not respond to her taunts, in fact Raven's expression was next to impossible to read, so instead she reached out to Beast boy.

"say can you be a dear and bring me a glass of water?… I don't feel so good…"

Beast boy replied with a yes before he sprinted out of the med bay towards the kitchen, Raven only sighed in disappointment to see Beast boy acting whipped .

Above the grounds of Jump City, a few minutes away from Titans tower.

In Jump's air space a military cargo helicopter was making his way towards Titan's tower, said helicopter was currently carrying a platoon of at least six to ten soviet soldiers armed with a variety of pistols and assault rifles, and their leader, none other than KGBeast who along with his men has also prepared his own arsenal, including a high powered laser acting as a prosthetic hand, as he was finishing his preparations the pilot contacted him over the radio.

"Anatoli we're almost in targets range….." Anatoli, a man of very few words, was now addressing his troops.

"men… brothers…. comrades… this is a simple extraction mission… leave no survivors, and in case if the target should offer resistance or tries to kill us….. you have my permission to shoot her on site….."

At this point, KGBeast's men started howling in a sense of brotherhood while their leader shut down his comm link in order to take a few minutes of concentration before the mission goes under way.

In the meantime Beast boy was currently wondering the halls of Titan's tower aimlessly, not paying attention he was headed to the living room and kitchen until he ran into Cyborg, the older teen offering him a friendly smile while starting a conversation.

"trouble in paradise…?"

Beast boy confused about where the question came from, Beast boy just gave a silent but animated gaze that said. 'what are you talking about…..?', Cyborg took this chance to expand on the matter.

"your Russian bride popping out of nowhere, causing trouble for anyone, including herself…."

Beast boy now both flustered and confused tried his best to reply.

"ha ha first of all Tara is not my Russian bride….. she's just a very complicated girl I got history with… besides I'm not sure she's Russian…" Beast boy slowly slowed down his rambling when he heard a faint sound of an helicopter making an approach.

"say Cy do we own an helicopter….. or in that case do we have a helipad….."

Now it was Cyborg's turn to be confused, so he asked his friend.

"is that your idea of changing the subject…..?"

Before Beast boy could respond that he wasn't trying anything, Night-wing, Wonder Girl and Starfire came rushing into the room.

"friends I apologize for the rude interruption, however I took a routine flight patrol when I noticed an unidentified military flying vessel heading our way, what did you say it name was Rich… Night-wing?"

Night-wing took his cue from there.

"it's a Ka-31 Helix transport chopper….. an eastern European one… definitely soviet."

Beast boy being his usual self couldn't help but point out at this moment.

"it's not that I really doubt you boss man but who exactly said they're soviets…..?… it could be anybody for all we know….."

Night-wing knew that question was coming so he replied the following.

"you think it's just a coincidence that Tara Markov just crash lands in our home and mere hours later practical strangers are headed our way…..?"

Before anyone could further add to the conversation, Raven entered the room with an update on Tara's condition.

"our 'fair lady' is mostly healed but she still can't leave her bed and is in no condition to walk about….. so anyone has an idea on what to do before she'll either die or be kidnapped….."

Night-wing at that point had an a risky idea, so he addressed everyone in the room.

"as a matter of fact I have one…. we let them take her… or at least let them think we deserted her…"

Now everyone in the room just looked at him as if to say 'have you lost your fucking mind?' so Night-wing elaborated further.

"look it's most likely that those guys will be better equipped than us, better trained than us or just simply outnumber us, but we know this layout better than anyone….. besides if something goes wrong I'll simply tag Tara so we could track her and their movements….. now go we don't have much time…"

At this moment no Titan was loudly questioning Night-wing so everyone listened while he assigned posts for the Titans for a possible good vantage point for an ambush. After almost everyone left Night-wing was headed back to the med bay only to be stopped by Beast boy that gave him a look that said.

'this plan of yours is for the birds….'

As the Titans returned to Tara/Terra, they discussed as much and as fast as they could about their plan of action, she at first seemed to be hesitant about the whole thing, however Night-wing surprisingly calmed her only to slip a microscopic tracker without her knowing.

In the meantime back in the Helix chopper.

A few clicks away from the tower the chopper came to a halt and ascended to a higher altitude than what the helicopter was currently flying which prompted one of KGBeast's soldiers to inquire.

'change in tactics sir…?' KGBeast maintained a stoic expression when he replied back.

'if our intell is up to date properly, Tara Markov is currently in hiding with a group called Teen Titans, one out of this group is the former student of a formidable foe that I could not defeat…..'

At this point the soldiers respectfully nodded to their commanding officer that they are following so far.

'now doubt the bat informed his former student about us and our tactics….. so I'll be sending at least two paratroopers to infiltrate our enemies base quietly while the rest of us will cause a commotion to distract those Titans…..'

With that said a couple of KGBeast's soldiers strapped on parachutes along with the gear they already carried and jumped out of the chopper when KGBeast gave them the silent order, after the two jumped the Helix pilot waited for the soldiers to make the landing before continuing on forward towards the Titan's tower.

Meanwhile hidden up on the roof Raven witnessed the two soldiers parachuting towards the tower's roof, taking a note to herself.

'so far just as Night-wing anticipated…..'

As the two paratroopers landed on the tower's roof, they immediately went to work trying to find a fuse box/control panel to hack into with the intention of disabled it, granting them an easier access, however Raven did her part expertly and from withing the shadows she whispered her mantra quietly resulting in the soldiers being swallowed from below by two small portals, soon being followed by Raven herself.

Witnessing what happened but barely by who, KGBeast ordered the pilot to bank and rotate the helicopter on the side while he produced an RPG and fired it towards the hole Terra left from her crash. He launched the rocket, now making the hole into a smoldering miniature crater big enough for him and his men to go through.

Having extinguished most of the flames KGBeast's unit and their leader rappelled in to find that apparently no living soul was around, at least on the current floor anyway so KGBeast transmitted the following order.

'they can't be far… switch to night vision and scout ahead….. split up to cover more ground….'

The men without question split into teams of two by two, spreading around the tower, gaining access to the residential floors, the gymnasium, the garage and the med bay.

The first two to arrive towards the living quarters were currently scouting the area, trying to leave no stone unturned, which meant that it was a matter of time before they tried to hack in to the Titan's rooms, Beast boy at his turn opted to do his part, he quietly from the edge of his room turned into a field mouse and started sneaking closer and closer on the intruders before quietly yet again turned into a different form, now that of a grizzly bear, tapping on their shoulders, the soldiers turned around with their assault rifles ready only to be swiped hard by Beast boy's paws causing both men to lose their weapons and consciousness, feeling proud of himself Beast boy reverted back to his human form and in a manner similar to James Bond he quipped.

"communists…. no sense for privacy…."

However when he finally remembered he was alone, he started pinching the bridge of his nose.

'the one time I came up with a funny joke and no one was around to hear it

Speaking of everyone else, a couple more soldiers managed to gain entry to the garage, scouting around for a few moments, the soldiers didn't see anyone lurking around, opting to take no chance they both drew their weapons, now treading even more slowly, all of a sudden one of Them got a bright idea, confiscate one of the cars in the garage as an escape vehicle, as the soldier approached the car however he got a nasty surprise, the car he was trying to steal zapped him right when he reached for the door handle, next he tried breaking the window with the bud of the rifle only for it to bounce back to him, Cyborg, watching from his designated hiding place was having a lot of fun witnessing the fools struggle with his security measures.

"okay kids put the toys down before you hurt someone….. like yourselves….."

Before the soldiers could react they where hit head on with Cyborg's white noise cannon, now calibrated that the sound levels it produced were high pitched enough to knock both of the soldiers down in pain and agony, once both dropped to the ground Cyborg immediately powered down his cannon down, turning around he was met with Night-wing's curious look that said.

'isn't that a bit of an overkill?'

Out of nowhere and without prior warning Night-wing produced an escrima stick set on stun and threw it right at Cyborg, only to pass and hit the soldier trying to mount a sneak attack, making him drop to the floor due to sudden muscle constriction, making Cyborg utter.

"look who's talking…"

Before Cyborg could add more Night-wing has already vanished into thin air, inheriting that trick from Batman, leaving Cyborg with the unconscious soldiers to think to himself.

'well that is irony for you….'

Night-wing quickly passed the gymnasium where Starfire fought off her own share of goons, well fought wouldn't be fair because based on what he was briefly seeing, it was a one sided fight in favor of Starfire.

Back with Tara/Terra inside the med bay, the blonde in mention, now feeling slightly stronger than before, tried to make a stand against the attackers, using the hospital bed as a shield, ready to manipulate her surroundings in order to escape, however she waited and waited but nothing happened, there in a split second, a flash bang grenade was flung at her, in a split second decision she manipulated the earth from a few potted plants nearby to create a sphere around the tossed grenade, reducing the impact of the explosion meanwhile Terra/Tara took cover.

In a mixture of both Slavic and her native tongue she opposed the question to her potential abductors.

'tell me this….. did He sent you…..?'

She never received an answer to that question, she only felt their footsteps coming closer and their assault rifles being Cocked to fire,however what happened next astounded her, she only saw a glimpse of it, but in a rapid motion an escrima stick was flung at the soldiers face, making him loose his footing and consciousness, the soldier next to him tried to retaliate and fire back before receiving a second escrima stick aimed right at his crotch, reeling in pain he tried to remain in control only to be met by an downward kick from Night-wing aimed directly at the top of it's head.

"an here you have the gall to criticize me as murderous and out of control….."

Night-wing never responded to the question, however he did response to Terra/Tara.

"well we can either discuss my method of 'pest control' and risk capture or regroup with the rest and defend you….. oh and by the way you're welcome."

Terra/Tara knew she couldn't win that argument, so she simply said.

"after you…."

Per suggestion Night-wing moved on ahead, scouting ahead to make sure the coast is clear while Tara/Terra stayed behind for a few to change from the med bay gown into her uniform while slowly and steadily keeping up with Night-wings pace.

"Titans….. this is Night-wing over….. any of you had a run in with KGBeast…..?"

Before any of them could give an answer, KGBeast came waltzing over with a grim yet slightly amused face from the residential areas and the kitchen, replacing his prosthetic with a mechanical hand and cracking his knuckles.

"don't you know…?… you're gonna ruin your cartilage that way…."

KGBeast did not choose to response, however he did choose to lunge at Night-wing head on,using his enormous stature and distinct presence to either frighten Night-wing into retreating or pummel him to death with his bare hands, seeing that Night-wing did not retreat but chose the same to attack him head on, he had this to say.

"i see that you inherited that pesky bat's courage… but it will do you no good frail one…"

Night-wing only smirked while delivering his next reply.

"well considering most of your squad is down….. I see no reason to be concerned….."

Again KGBeast did not respond to what was to him an obvious taunt, instead he pressed on with his attack, only for Night-wing to repel the attacks or avoid him all together with a series of fancy gymnastic routines, courtesy of his circus background, in time KGBeast started to show signs of slowing down, which gave Night-wing the opportunity to throw a few light jabs and punches in very specific places in an attempt to render KGBeast's body useless, but it didn't happen.

"a very good attempt little bird man….. however my muscles are built like tank's armor….. so I'm afraid you'll have to try better than that….."

That cause Night-wing to scoff, but on the inside he was thinking.

'well….. I'm fucked.'

As the fight between Night-wing and KGBeast, so did the other Titans joined in, with Starfire shooting star bolts near the enemy to occupy and delay him while Cyborg and Wonder Girl tried to weaken and trap him, while Beast boy provided back up for Raven while she was keeping busy by giving medical treatment for Terra/Tara.

'commander… please respond… did you acquire the target…?'

Hearing the pilot's voice over on the radio, KGBeast angrily relaid the following order.

'i underestimated these whelps… I am now issuing a complete retreat and regroup….. lock on to my coordinates…'

It didn't take long but a few moments later in the midst of battle, a gust of wind destroyed most of the windows on the level the Titans were in, creating a confusion, which KGBeast used to make a break for it, now having jumped and back in the chopper,KGBeast detached his mechanical hand and replaced it with his signature mini assault rifle attachment. Without delay KGBeast started firing upon the Titans, which instinctively ran to find various covers, all but one, Beast boy, he chose a different approach.

Instead of running away from the chopper, Beast boy chose to run towards it and since the helicopter was already gaining some distance, he transformed into a pterodactyl and flew after it moments after jumping out of the window, giving chase he almost got shot a few good times, catching up to the chopper Beast boy started tearing into the tales rotor blades, causing the vehicle to produce smoke, lose control and crash land in the sea close to the beach.

With the crashed chopper, near Jump City.

Both KGBeast and the helicopter pilot miraculously survived the encounter with the flying dinosaur an while KGBeast suffered minor bleeding, his pilot suffered a lot worse, mainly broken bones and internal injuries, knowing what KGBeast had to do, he solemnly took a vow before shooting a round into the pilot's head.

'you will be avenged comrade….. rest assured of that.'

In the meantime Beast boy still in pterodactyl form descended towards sea level to flush out KGBeast and whoever flown that helicopter, once he got close enough he noticed KGBeast making a run….. a swim for it while the pilot got a led memento between the eyes.

Feeling a little guilty about what had happened Beast boy chose to make himself useful and try to tail the hulking Russian by transforming into a green robin, flying low and out of sight.

Back with the Titans, most of them were either tiding the tower a bit or taking a breather, all except for Night-wing who tried to contact Beast boy to no avail, deducing that something happened that prevented him from answering, hoping it's not a worst case scenario situation, getting no answer he approached Starfire and the rest, about an idea he had.

"everyone please listen up… we all can agree right now that remaining in the tower is unwise right…..?"

No one was disputing him so he continued.

"the way I see it, we have two options… option one, we mobilize after Beast boy and KGBeast, risking Terra's capture even more than we already have or option two, we move Terra to a safe house only a select few know about… meaning we'll be risking Beast boy's safety, leaving him alone without backup…"

Night-wing tried hard not to kick himself for even suggesting leaving a teammate behind before posing the next question.

"if everyone is in complete agreement or has a better suggestion I would welcome it….."

To no one's surprise Terra interrupted Night-wing almost immediately, however what did surprise everyone was her response.

"it's no secret that I know Beast boy better than almost everyone in this room….. I know for instance that he can be, how do you say it correctly in English?….. laser focused and determined to a fault….. so if he's determined to keep us safe…. we should pay him with determination of our own…."

Tracking down a small green animal who in turn tracks a big scary Russian soldier, that's a no brainer, in fact that's what Cyborg was doing right now, driving a low key sedan with the rest of the Titans, minus Starfire who chose to fly low and under the radar, what did bother Cyborg though was the backseat driving his friends were offering, not that he didn't appreciate the input but still hearing them drone on for a few more moments made him stop the car and address them directly.

"guys… I got a state of the line navigation system stuck in my head, literally… plus a state of the art super computer stuck there as well, which on and off gives me a headache… now I don't you to add to that headache… so can we please drive there in relative quiet?… is this too much to ask…..?"

With that the atmosphere in the car got a lot less tense, since everyone now was on the look out for Beast boy, Night-wing at the same time threw a comment at Cyborg before continuing scouting.

"mind the speed limit…"

Cyborg was about to give Night-wing a dirty look and a glare while the former Titan's leader just gave a sheepish, apologetic look that said.

'sorry… force of habit….'

Now back on the scout Night-wing was keeping his eyes pealed on the skyline when he witnessed what looked like a green robin heading north-east, signaling Cyborg to follow that bird Night-wing took a mental note.

'note to self…. remind myself to say thanks to Beast boy for being an on the nose kind of person

Meanwhile back with Beast boy, the green titan was having a bit of a hard time keeping up with KGBeast, taking a few mental notes of his own.

'one….. go to the gym more often….two, ask KGBeast what he ate recently….. he stinks to high heaven'

At this point in time KGBeast seemingly wondered aimless around the streets of Jump City, but he knew he was being followed, he knew for a long while and he had a plan, he just needed the green fool to keep following further, that is until in KGBeast's peripheral vision came the view of an old condemned building.

'perfect….. just what I needed….. the best battlefield to give me the edge over this jungle boy…'

With that KGBeast quickly went inside the building and disappeared all together, Beast boy right on his tail, however instead of rushing inside Beast boy transformed back into human form, scowling at what he saw.

'crap…. out of all places it had to be this….. what's his game anyway?… he could've run towards the Russian embassy and claim diplomatic immunity….. no….. don't tell me he thinks I'm that stupid to chase him inside….. I'll show him though….'

Instead of going inside the building, Beast boy began scouring the area, trying to jog his mind into action and come up with a plan of action, he wondered around the building for a bit but he didn't find something useful, that is until he felt a few pieces of glass cracking beneath his feet, stopping he look down and noticed about roughly four or five pieces of broken glass. Picking them up he began staring at them for a few moments like a Rorschach test because oddly enough the pieces reminded him of a certain flying mammal, to which Beast boy started wondering.

'wait a minute… yes that might be crazy enough to work… note to self, check if Batman has a team of lawyers backing him up…..'

Beast boy started running towards the entrance but abruptly stopped wondering to himself if he needed anything else and sure enough a rope came to mind, so he quickly scanned the are for any kind of rope he could find, however he couldn't so instead he began heading for the entrance again, unbeknownst to him KGBeast was waiting for him on the floor above the entrance tracking his movements from above, cracking his fists and getting ready for a fight.

'it's time to find who's the strongest beast in this fight'

Upon entering the condemned building Beast boy stored away the glass pieces into his uniform's pockets before turning into a cat and started climbing the support beams of the building trying his best to avoid detection by KGBeast, however he forgot to account for one crucial flaw in that tactic, his heightened sense of smell.

'make sure to remember, transform into an animal with a weak sense of smell…. good god it smells like old men underwear at the doctor's….'

Braving on through the fowl stench Beast boy transformed from a cat into a rat to give him extra agility right when this happened, a hail of bullets came from the floor above him while he rapidly scaled the walls of the building as a cockroach slipping threw the cracks, carefully positioning himself on a support beam heading directly above KGBeast. Once situated he transformed back into human form balancing himself on his feet like a stone gargoyle while his enemy tried from below to scan the floor below for his victim.

'well… here goes nothing.'

When KGBeast got into Beast boy's range he produced about three makeshift Bat-a-rangs and sequentially threw them one after the other, the first narrowly missing the target,nicked KGBeast's cheek, drawing blood while the second lodged itself in the shoulder and the last of the three hit the hulking Russian square in the upper arm, making him grunt from the pain.

"you think I'm stupid enough to think I'm dealing with the Batman?…. you'll have to do a lot better than cheap parlor tricks."

Pissed off by the result Beast boy dropped all pretence and replied before transforming himself into a Spectral bat descending on to the attack.

"sure I use parlor tricks you overgrown Stalin… but you're wrong on one thing, my parlor tricks are anything but cheap… here let me prove ya….."

With that KGBeast braced himself for the ensuing attack, giving a mad grin of someone prepared to put all on the line.

As the green spectral bat came closer and closer KGBeast dug his feet firmly on the ground as the flying mammal began clawing and biting on his flesh furiously for a few moments before stopping all completely, reverting back into human form.

"what's the matter little boy…..?, tired already?…"

Beast boy in his usual overconfident swagger had just this to say.

"nope, just gotta watch my diet more carefully… to much white meat could kill you….."

If not for being the professional that he is, KGBeast would compliment the foolishness the boy was masquerading as bravery, however that as it may the more time was passing on the more infuriated he became from finding how difficult was to kill that one particular boy, it wounded his pride in that sense.

As Beast boy continued mocking him KGBeast considered emptying a few rounds into the pesky pest, however he decided instead to overpower him in hand to hand combat, charging at him head on with Beast boy doing the same.

"please go easy on me….. I never danced with another man before…"

Now furious that his opponent is making a mockery out of this battle, KGBeast tried to swap and punch him like the bug that he is, however Beast boy evaded the Russian's punches before landing a few expertly blows of his own leaving KGBeast disoriented and vulnerable while changing into a green gorilla tackling his enemy making them both crash through a window and down to the front entrance.

'shit…. that was fun… I'll have to do that again, but first…. room service…'

At this point in time KGBeast tried rising to his feet while pulling out shards of glass that got embedded into his flesh, first from his feet, then from his arms and finally a huge chunk from his upper back, with his breath being shallow and rapid he tried lifting his arm and shoot Beast boy here and there but the extra strain made him fall on his knees and then on his stomach and face, mumbling from disappointment and frustration.

Beast boy's breaths were laboured and strained, however he tried with all of his damn might to stay conscious to reach for his communicator and call for back up. A few moments passed and by that point he got lucky since he sensed the Titans rushing for his aid with Raven being the first of them to arrive while Night-wing and Terra bringing up the rear.

As Raven got closer she was greeted by a warm yet somewhat cocky smile from Beast boy.

"well if it isn't my favorite doctor…. ouch that's smart….."

"well if you'll keep overworking me like you usually do, I'll consider changing my profession to a taxidermist….."

Knowing that Raven usually didn't make jokes and lightly to add Beast boy couldn't stop the feeling of a chill going down his spine, luckily though his mind got distracted when he saw Terra moving towards KGBeast observing she removed his prosthetic hand and crushed it using her powers.

"any ideas of what to do with Cossack over there….?, surely we can't risk having him continue chasing us….."

Raven didn't hesitate to answer while still treating Beast boy.

"first of all I'm surprised your bloodlust didn't take over… second I'm gonna keep him stable long enough for the paramedics to arrive… then through proper channels we're gonna send him home….. in a diplomatic bag"

Terra/Tara scoffed at the answer while replying back to Raven.

"you're a dark one aren't you….. I kinda like it…."

Raven chose not to answer, opting instead to treat Beast boy, which infuriated her, before thinking quietly.

'stuck up bitch… when the time comes I'll make sure to enjoy beating you senseless'

Having a knack for defusing tense situations, Starfire quieted both Raven and Terra with a soothing touch before addressing Night-wing.

"would you be so kind as to secure our captive if you will…..?"

Night-wing in return gave a curt nod as he reached his back pockets to produce a pair of handcuffs, however he felt something strange about the handcuffs, almost like fur, quickly realizing what has happened he even quicker thought of an appropriate response.

"Starfire, with all due respect I think Cyborg and Wonder Girl should secure him….. I'll call 911 in the meantime….."

Starfire suspected there was another reason for her beloved strange behavior but has decided to drop it while in the meantime, behind Night-wing's back Cyborg and Wonder Girl had a better idea of what happened and shared a shit eating grin before proceeding to secure KGBeast, who in the meantime got a basic patch up job from Raven.

A few moments passed and KGBeast was coming to, only to realize he was currently being restrained but what appeared to be a golden noose around his arms and an electronic collar around his feet, he tried to resist and break free of those bonds, giving Cyborg and Wonder Girl a bit of a hassle to deal with, that is until he felt the ground raising around his body and now threatening to crush him to death, in the meanwhile Terra came into his line of sight, whispering a warning in his ear.

"the only way you'll be able to escape them is either in a cargo plane or the morgue….. now choose and make that choice count."

Having no choice KGBeast relented from trying to escape while Wonder Girl finished securing him, leaving Cyborg free to ask Terra the following.

"should we know what you said to him…?"

Terra only stared back with an expression that quietly said.

'does the pope shits in the woods?'

Choosing to leave the conversation on that note cyborg rejoined Wonder Girl while Terra/Tara was left alone watching Raven's exchanges with Beast boy from afar, suddenly feeling very awkward and self aware she decided to shift her focus on him, completely being caught off guard by Night-wing.

"you do realize that you're being a bit rude right…?'

Almost jumping out of her skin Terra/Tara chose to take a deep breath before replying back.

"yeah I know… I'm just amazed with the fact that right when you start to figure him out, he surprises you even more….."

Night-wing didn't say a word, instead he gave a wry grin while Terra/Tara kept on staring a while longer.

"can I confess something…..?, sometimes I wish that what I had with Beast boy is exactly what he has now with Raven….."

Night-wing at that promptly responded with.

"first of, don't let that fool you, he's still single… secondly, you'll have to be more gentle with him….."

"says the guy who brought a pair of kinky handcuffs to battle."

Night-wing a little stunned tried to ask her quietly how she knew about it, however she beat him to the punch.

"you're not the only one with sharp eyes around here…"

The Teen Titans kept moving at that point with their prisoner in toe, leaving Night-wing to think for himself.

'I'll take sharp eyes over a big mouth like yours any day…..'

A few hours have passed and KGBeast has already been delivered to the proper authority, biding farewell to the Titans Tara/Terra was currently levitating back to the apartment, a feet that was particularly taxing and difficult due to the injuries she sustained, not to mention mental images of a certain green boy that added to her inability to focus.

'calm down….. he means little to you….. besides you're using him and his friends remember…..?'

With that thought out of the way she returned to her home continuing her routine without a care in the world, although as much she tried to continue living her life, the thoughts about Beast boy continued popping in her head distracting her even further, so she decided to pop on over for a visit over to Titans tower was in order

Titan's tower roof early morning, a week later.

Raven has gotten early up in the morning so she could have peace quiet and tranquility while meditating, originally she tried meditation in her room, however that turned out a complete failure thanks to Beast boy actually getting up early himself, no doubt compensating for the time lost being admitted to the titan's med bay with one method that never failed him, listening and joining along to the latest pop chart hits, this time being Tommy Shaw Dangerous game.

The music being somewhat audible even from the roof didn't deter Raven for one bit so after centering herself she began with her meditation per usual, the morning ritual lasted for about an hour and a half until Raven felt a disturbance within herself, opening her eyes she tried to scan and see what disturbed her so much and it didn't take long to see why.

Spotting Terra/Tara gliding on a piece of rock towards the tower she mentally dreaded.

'oh great ms. Danger has shown up once more….. better see what she wants before she'll bring world war III to our door'

Raven made sure to keep Terra in her sights as the blonde came closer and closer to the tower's entrance keeping a close eye on her and in return the target in question just patiently waited by the entrance.

A tense atmosphere was building up as Raven kept waiting for about 10 to 15 minutes for Terra to do something in line with her character like starting a temper tantrum or start swearing to herself like a sailor, however nothing of the sorts happened, Terra just kept on waiting quietly occasionally taking a small nap. Deciding to confront her directly Raven conjured a portal directly to the tower's entrance.

"state your business and leave…."

Terra undeterred simply replied.

"my what crawled up your ass….?, and why do you act like I'm not welcomed…?"

Raven getting annoyed more than she should be just shot back.

"that's because you're not welcomed….. now either talk or take your troubles elsewhere….."

Now it was Terra's turn to be defensive.

"take it easy will you?, I'm just here to see Beast boy…..not that any of it is your concern….."

Raven decided not to play along with the blonde girl therefore she took a few deep breathes before replying the following.

"you want to talk to him, use the phone like any normal person would… now leave before you'll drag us into another mess of your own doing…"

Terra at this point was getting pissed, fighting the urge to throttle a large piece of concrete against the pale goth's face and instead just chose to leave the tower without so much of a goodbye.

Watching her leaving the island and tower Raven sighed a sigh of relief, however before she could go back inside she felt the presence of a certain titan.

"if you want to catch up to her you better go now…"

Bemused Beast boy popped out of the entrance's hallway, grabbing both of Raven's hands.

"did I tell you….."

Before he could finish that sentence Raven captured his lips with her hands in a pinching motion.

"go now before I change my mind…. got it…?"

Giving a simple nod Beast boy turned into an albatross giving chase to Terra, but not before giving a quick peck on Raven's cheek leaving her a bit embarrassed and confused, leaving her only to her musings.

'damn it Gar I don't know whether to kill you or mount your head on the wall for that… on second thought, you're chasing Terra which is punishment enough…..'

In the meantime Beast boy searched Terra like a man on a mission, though most people that saw him only witnessed a bird with a skin condition acting like a raving lunatic, however he saw soon enough the rocks that trailed Terra so he changed course and follow suit, a few moments later he caught up to her enough to see her landing near an apartment building deducing she lived there.

Making his own landing a few moments later he transformed back to his human form following her inside, making an observation to no one in particular.

"well it wasn't the yellow bricked road but at least I know where you live… wait a minute scratch that, that's too creepy….. I'm just here to give her my number….. yeah that's sounds a lot better…."

Beast boy started climbing the stairs in the apartment building trying to locate Terra's place by sound and smell and to help him at the moment he transformed into a bloodhound to accomplish just that, at first it wasn't all difficult to tell apart from the different scents that surrounded the building, however due to some 'minor issues' with the building's upkeep Beast boy needed to proceed in human form on foot leaving him to remark dryly.

"cardio don't fail me now"

As he continued up the stairs he eventually after a few moments took notice to a door halfway open, not taking any chances he lightly knocked on the door muttering to himself in the process.

"please don't collapse…. please….. please….. please…"

Fortunately for him the door didn't collapse, though unfortunately nobody came to answer the door, and he in fact recognized Terra's voice and scent so he knew she was home, so he decided to wait for a few moments and continued knocking on the door every few minutes. An hour like this went by and still nothing so boldly he decided to leave a small business card with his name and number on it, yes he made sure to make one of those for himself cause why the hell not really, before leaving the apartment building via the express elevator, jumping out of a nearby window and transforming into a green pigeon.

A few seconds afterwards Tara came out of the shower wearing nothing but a head towel, wondering to herself if someone was looking for her or that she forgot to lock the door again, she approached the hallway only to stumble on to the card, picking it up and examining it she started to grin and giggle to herself. She was now starting to wonder if she should call Beast boy on the phone and start teasing him like mad or wait a little while longer before doing it, a loud grumble from her stomach gave the answer she was looking for.

'now how should I tease him… let me count the ways…'

However before doing anymore thinking Tara dropped the idea in favor of taking a small shut eye, figuring she could postpone an awkward conversation like that for another time.

Titans tower, Beast boy's room, early noon.

Beast boy feeling tired filthy and sweaty has decided to enter his room from his bedside window, once landing he rapidly changed back into his human form and discarded his uniform and clothes all over the floor before stepping in into his private in suite bathroom and ran the shower on hot water, standing in the shower for a little while until a bit of steam started to rise.

Washing himself quickly and efficiently he made sure not to waste too much time under the shower, less he wanted to achieve steamed vegetable levels, exiting the room completely naked scouring his room for a dry and clean towel. He searched for quite a few minutes before his phone started to ring, leaving him to think and pray.

'this better be good'

Looking down his phone he saw it was a stranger's number, or at least a number he didn't recognize, so in a devil may care attitude typical of him he answered the phone, only instead of a normal greeting he was bombarded by moaning, sighing and sexual screams of his name as it came from Tara's mouth.

"Tara please stop it if you're trying to tease me it will not work….."

Beast boy was saying that with all efforts to fight a creeping blush coming across his face and a sudden erection popping by to say hello. Tara stifling a laugh from bursting out just replied with the following.

"it's really too bad you're not with me now….. I really need your company right about now….. it's lonely just by myself….."

In a rare case of sheer honesty from Beast boy, with no bravado, no silly jokes and no postures he simply asked Tara the following.

"since we're both lonely people… how about we spend it….."

However Tara finished for him.

"together?… that sounds like a wonderful idea…. two days from now, I'll tell you when and where.

With that she hung up leaving Beast boy puzzled and confused.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 09: last Christmas

It's been around 6 months since Beast boy and Tara Markov Started dating, or at the very least started seeing and hanging around each other more often either as a couple or either as occasional allies whenever crime alerts came to Titan's tower.

On the streets of Jump city, early noon .

Beast boy, the literal party animal of the Teen Titans was striding without a care in the world on a snowy day of early December towards meeting Tara at a nearby movie theater with appropriate winter looking dapper and debonair looking forward for a good time, well at least it was good for a few minutes until his communicator started going off, taking a few seconds before he answered he muttered in disappointment.

'i swear to god sometimes it goes off before I can….'

Looking at the screen he saw Night-wing's ID so he quickly answered.

"hey you reached the beast go for it wing….."

Sighing for a slight second Night-wing continued.

"okay here's the situation… I hate cutting your date with Tara short but while we dealt with some local punks trying to rob a bank Cyborg received a distress call from Sarah….. she's now being held hostage at a sporting goods store close to your location….. think you can provide backup…..?"

Beast boy gave Night-wing a cocky grin that said 'you know who your talking to' before he accepted the mission and hung up, now however he rang a different number, Tera's, she answered right away.

"hey luv listen I'll have to take a rain check on our date….. a crisis at a sporting goods store has sprung up… you wanna join and help take care of it…..?"

Sighing for a second Tara answered the following.

"fine but you'll owe me big time….."

Beast boy could only chuckle as he uttered his reply.

"a girl who gets down to business… is a girl after my own heart….."

With that he closed his communicator once again and started sprinting turning himself mid run into a jaguar. A few minutes later Beast boy arrived at the crisis scene to be greeted by a few Crown Vic's with a few more policemen armed with assault rifles taking aim and cover while the perpetrator inside was firing with a rifle at any cops trying to make their way inside, among them was Cyborg nursing an injured shoulder, turning back into a human Beast boy proclaimed.

"don't worry man more back up is on the way… in the meantime fill me in on what's what….."

Cyborg still in discomfort tried to explain to the best of his understanding.

"well Sarah got kidnapped by her ex boyfriend, supposedly ex fiance….. he's armed, dangerous delusional and pissed….."

Beast boy being brought up to speed asked the following question.

"what's the plan then man, sitting on our asses until he runs out of bullets….?"

Cyborg nodded a 'no' before continuing.

"not an option….. I talked to Raven a little before you showed up….. the two of us will create a distraction so Raven can sneak in and calm him just enough to release the hostages…."

At that moment in time Terra's voice interrupted.

"make it the three of us greenie over here called me to provide backup….. and knowing you two you'll need it….."

At this point in time Cyborg bore a hole with his eyes towards Beast boy, saying silently.

'you had to call her didn't you…..?

Terra ignoring what's happening around her prepared to charge head on, that is until cyborg stopped her by tugging on her shoulder.

"what the hell are you doing….."

But before she could finish that sentence Cyborg cut in.

"listen up, I don't care how screwed up you are, I don't care if you want to screw up your life either….. but that is my girl in there being threatened with a gun to her head so you're staying put and follow our lead….."

Terra gave Cyborg a deadpan stare that said wordlessly 'are you for real?' but before she could protest further she felt a sudden chill in the air, that chill came from Raven as she transported with her soul self on to the crime scene, which prompted Terra to respond.

"oh even better…. we distract the armed psycho over there and queen of the underworld over there gives him a heart attack with her ugliness….."

Cyborg and Beast boy started staring daggers into Terra while distancing from her as much as possible while Raven unphased approaches Terra and slaps her upside down on her head.

"airhead you're on crowd control, Cyborg you're going in there and talk the kidnapper into releasing the hostages, I'm on medical duty while Beast boy will quietly sneaks in and provide back up if something goes horribly wrong….."

With that the rest of the Teen Titans went about to do their jobs, Cyborg taking the lead by surrendering and retracting his arm cannon, while Beast boy transformed into a spider and crawled onto the side of the building while Raven phased through the floor leaving Terra behind to mutter bitterly.

"goddamn bitch….. this airhead will kill you soon….. mark my words…"

Unbeknownst to her she attracted a few audience with that, so after turning around she looked at them dead in the eye before she practically screamed at them.

"what are you looking at…..?"

Speaking of looking, while Beast boy kept crawling around for a good vantage point Cyborg soldiered on ahead silently praying to himself as he got closer to sarah and her kidnapper.

'mouth don't fail me now'

"that's close enough man… please I've done some stupid shit that I already regret man… I don't want to do more…"

Cyborg taking a deep breath simply asked him while Sarah silently worded his name.

"mark… you seem like a smart man….. hell you're really don't seem so bad either….. so why the drama…..?"

Mark stuttered his reply.

"I.…. I….I cracked…. life fucked me over once too many times… a…. and I couldn't take it anymore, you know…?"

Cyborg gestured to Mark that it's okay, so Mark let go some of the pent up edge but still held the gun firmly near Sarah as Vic continued the conversation.

"i know what you mean….. believe me life fucked me over too….. I was a pro athlete with a shot at the NFL, maybe even the Olympics…."

Mark cut him off with the edge returning to his voice and posture.

"is there a point to all of this…..?….. besides why should I believe you….. you're the one Sarah chose over me…"

Cyborg calmly and with authority just replied the following.

"my point is, I know what anger really feels like, I know what being betrayed feels like….. so let the hostages go….. you're not angry at them nor did they betray you in any way….. this is between you, me and Sarah….."

At this point Mark pointed his riffle in frustration towards the ceiling and fired a few shot off a few rounds into it, scaring the hostages into running towards the exit.

Beast boy at this point has been waiting out of plain sight and back into human form again, redirecting the hostages back outside where Terra and the police were anxiously waiting, especially Terra.

"Terra baby darling… make sure the hostages are safe and make sure the E.M.T don't slack off okay…..? love you….."

Terra wanted to respond but Beast boy disappeared back inside before she could make a squeak, leaving her to dwell in infuriated thoughts.

'call me baby again one more time and I'll give you a Colombian necktie…..'

Before she could do anything else, she was reminded that bitch Raven was on the scene as well which pissed her off something fierce, knowing that she got stuck with nothing important to do, she was thinking about finding a poor sucker to vent her frustration on but at this point, she witnessed something horrifying to most yet intriguing to her, the kidnapper now in pure desperation redirected the riffle to such a position that both him and the hostage would eat a bullet if he so chooses to pull the trigger.

"wanna be useful airhead…? Cyborg won't get through to the kidnapper in time….. so here's what's gonna happen….. you'll cause the shooter to lose balance with your gifts, while I quickly sneak behind him an incapacitate him with my own powers….. think you can manage that….?"

Terra chuckled softly before replying.

"you do know that you sound just like Beast boy right now…right…..?"

Raven did not respond to Terra's quip, she merely watched silently for an opening to take place between the shooter and the intended victims, hoping against her better judgement that maybe Cyborg could end it peacefully enough.

Back with Cyborg in the Sporting goods store.

"damn it Mark… I know you don't want to listen to me… you're tired and you want to put it all to rest….. but if you pull that trigger, I promise you, people will make you into such a martyr and a monster that even in death you'll not be able to rest….. besides….. people like us. We need people like Sarah in the world to make us feel less shitty about ourselves…. so please let her go, okay man….?"

Mark at this point lowered the riffle and in the blink of an eye Sarah escaped his grip running towards Cyborg.

"thank you….. thanks so much…. now please save mark as well…. he's a hostage of his own insecurities….."

Cyborg began patting Sarah on the back in a reassuring and calming motion but what he saw next made him, and Beast boy who hung around in the area at the time to freeze, Mark may have released all of the hostages but he had every intention but to surrender, instead he steeled himself to blow his head clean off.

In a split second decision Terra created a small scaled earthquake to make the shooter lose balance, making the riffle slip through his hands missing the chin by an inch and discharging the shot at the side wall of the store when Raven materialized behind him, gently grabbing him by the sides of his head, chanting smoothly.

"Azarath metrion zinthos…"

A few minutes later, outside the sporting goods store

By that point the E.M.T's were well on their way to the nearest hospital with the hostages while the local police were currently placing the one known as Mark Wright under arrest, while Cyborg was tending personally to his girlfriend Sarah Simms, Beast boy noticing the intimate exchange between the two got an idea rolling in his head as he found Tara.

"hey there gorgeous….. nice work out there….. speaking off out there, the day isn't completely over…. how about we pick up where we left off and enjoy a date together…."

With a mischievous grin Tara leaned a little backwards while Beast boy tried to lean and rest on her making him comedic-ally trip, well at least for her anyway.

"anyone ever told you that you're too eager…..?, anyway I had more than enough fun for one day… try me again in two weeks….."

With that she conjured a stone platform to balance on before taking off into the city, leaving Beast boy confused and disappointed.

Raven witnessing the exchange between the two simply sighed in pitty for her teammate as she approached him.

"come on lets go home before you'd start growing roots….."

As Raven conjured up a portal to the tower Beast boy in a deflated state, walked quietly into the portal with Raven in toe, they ended up in the hallway of all places that lead to the kitchen, catching a rather awkward sight of Starfire giving a 'tight massage' to Night-wing.

Both teens at this point remained silent as it became even more apparant by the minute what Starfire and Night-wing were heading with the 'massage' before Beast boy quietly whispered.

"should we tell them to get a room? Or should we head to ours and forget we ever saw that…..?"

But before he got an answer he witnessed that Raven was nowhere to be seen.

"i guess that gave me an answer… better get out before they notice me too….."

At that point in time Beast boy tried to move his feet towards his room but has he witnessed the two older Titans reach the peak of what was for lack of better words, a steamy sex scene from an erotic thriller, it left Beast boy silently wondering.

'is that even humanly possible…..?'

Finding miraculously the strength to avert his eyes and quietly turn away towards his room he rapidly went towards his room while in the meantime feeling an uncontrolled erection coming on.

'gee thanks Dick… now for sure I'll need a cold shower…..'

After Beast boy got out of the shower, he quickly found that two weeks were flying by quite rapidly, giving him hope or a do over with Tara on their botched up date, in the meantime Tara kept calling him and teasing him as per usual, well usual for those two.

Downtown Jump City, mid to late December, at the shopping mall.

We catch up with Beast boy as Tara strings and drags him along the mall, visiting as many clothing shops as possible, a variety of different restaurants and cafe's and to top it all off every chains of movie theaters and multiplexes in the area alone. Now guess who has to pay for all of that.

"Tara my sweet, after we leave this movie, can we please do something special and relaxing….?, it's Christmas soon….." Beast boy said affectionately, Tara however saw it another way.

"okay okay… jeez quit acting like an asshole….. always complaining while doing nothing worth while….."

Beast boy was about to add to the conversation but per usual Tara cut him off.

"we're not about to have that whole argument about you paying for everything and carrying it around all day… no, you know why?, because you're supposed to and expected to do that every single time….."

Beast boy didn't want to anger her even more so he remained silent, part because of respect but mostly because of fear, however Tara was already in a pissed off mood so she left her seat in the theatre mid picture while calling out to Beast boy.

"will you hurry along….. let's do your stupid idea before I change my mind…."

In a sheepish manner Beast boy got up from his seat as he felt every movie goer at that point either pitying him or send a murderous glare his way due to how loud and inconsiderate Tara was.

A few minutes passed on by and the young couple has made it towards the city's park now being adorned by a fresh pile of snow while the lake in the middle was now open to the public as an ice skating ring.

"this is….. quite romantic I must admit…" Tara spoke feeling more at ease right now, while Beast boy squeezed her hand gently out of pride and small joy.

"shall we join the fun…..?"

Tara for once smiled at Beast boy's suggestion but offered something better in return.

"you know what I'm in the mood for?, hot chocolate… please can you get us a couple of those…..?"

At that very moment Tara gave the most beautiful and adorable puppy eyed gaze which almost melted Beast boy's face and with that how could he have said no.

"you're lucky that I can't say no to a cute face….."

Tara at that comment smirked slightly, asking with her facial expression 'only cute?, that's it….?

Beast boy started laughing at that as he pecks Tara on the cheek,heading out to search for the nearest place that would sell him hot cocoa but not before saying.

"stay put I'll be right back in a few minutes….."

True to his word he did return with two beverages sealed in disposable cups, one he gave to her and the other one he started drinking himself, that is until his hyper sensitive senses kicked in while burning his tongue, making him comically flail around trying desperately to cool off his aching tongue while Tara just burst laughing out loud at the scene, taking a deep breath Beast boy forcibly replied.

"I'm glad my misery amuses you….." making her laugh even louder since most of his words came out slurred and stuttered, however in the end she regained enough of her breath to place a kiss on his forehead and smile warmly at him, gesturing that they should continue wondering about taking in the air and sights, which to Beast boy agreed.

A few moments of silence passed by until Beast boy and Tara returned to the makeshift ice rink only to be greeted with a nice surprise, Cyborg was out and about with ms. Sarah Simms skating along on the ice, or in Cyborg's case trying to balance on the skates with hoping that his frame won't threaten to crack the ice, leaving Beast boy to wonder out loud in unison.

"should we drop by and say hello….."

Both of them at that point started to laugh at the coincidence.

After the much needed laugh, both teens rented ice skates from a nearby shop and headed to join the other lovebirds, at the exact moment when Tara and Beast boy returned they got a front row view for quite an amusing moment, Cyborg or rather Vic Stone loosing balance on the slippery ice and falling on his ass and splatting face upwards.

"please tell me those two didn't see this….."

Sarah being an honest just gave him a sympathetic smile that wordlessly said 'they saw that'. cyborg letting a sigh out while trying and failing to get up now addresses the two behind him.

"mind giving me a hand you two…?"

Both Tara and Beast boy looked at each other once again before simultaneously started clapping their hands. At this scene Sarah tried her best to stifle a laugh coming on while Cyborg/Vic Stone silently mutters to himself.

"oh great just what the doctor ordered, a couple of comedians….."

At this point all company present excluded Cyborg started laughing their heads off that is until Tara made a wrong step sliding and falling on her ass herself, to which Vic started laughing along exclaiming.

"thank you karma…."

Tara now less than amused but not so quite pissed yet simply asked.

"okay now instead of laughing like hyenas how about we get up and out of here?…"

Beast boy and Sarah quickly jumped in to help their significant others while Tara softly moaned in pain.

"ouch ouch ouch….. careful, I think I landed flat on my ass…"

"your ass was flat from before so what's the difference….?" Cyborg mutters softly only to receive a glare from Sarah and a shushing motion.

Having no wish to argue or upset Sarah Cyborg dropped the subject and the joke while offering that he and Sarah should escort Beast boy and Tara a little until they would have to depart their separate ways, to which the young couple has agreed for the most part with Tara "whining" on occasion that she hoped to have more intimate time with Beast boy/Gar Logan while he on the other hand chose to spend his time shooting the shit with Cyborg to pass the time until they split up each on their own dates.

A few quiet moments later Beast boy was walking slowly and casually breathing in the air while Tara hung around on his arm.

"may I ask something Bea…. I mean Gar…..?"

Beast boy getting a little tense and anxious simply chose to reply with.

"as long as it's not about fat cats, lasagna or Mondays then go ahead and shoot…."

"should I be jealous that you're much closer and friendlier with Vic than with me…..?" Tara added a little mirth into the last part to tease Gar a bit, however she was thrown off a bit by the following answer.

"nah Vic and I are like Brothers really….."

Tara nodded silently so he continued.

"we share things in common, like….. we weren't born with the gifts we poses….. we were thrown in to them….. does that answer your question.

Tara on the other hand just smiled for a bit and returned to the silence that they shared all the while both teens were well out of the park and now heading towards Jump City's piers, choosing to take a small break there Tara broke the silence again.

"one last question….. when are you going to grow some balls and kiss me Gar…..?"

Liking where this was going Gar Logan simply leaned in and gave Tara a passionate kiss on her lips grinning a bit as he did that.

As Tara and Beast boy/Gar continued kissing something began to bother her, it wasn't the fact that there might be people around taking a peek at the make out session or that said make out session lasted more than a few minutes without any of them taking a proper pause to let air in, it was in fact that without a hint of sarcasm she found it enjoyable, which in turn frighten her the more she thought about it so instinctively she pulled back leaving Gar to ask.

"Tara what's wrong… was it something I did…?"

Gar was feeling very self conscious right now while Tara was looking for any excuse to cover for the fact that she was panicking at the moment, after a few seconds she went with this.

"no no it's not you it's me…. I'm used to being alone….. and now everything moving so fast….. it's just needs to sink in that's all…"

Gar visibly now relaxed for a bit before an awkward silence descended between the two.

"so…. may I offer you a ride back home… your home I mean….?"

Tara began to smile and then laugh before replying with the following.

"thanks my sweet little greenie but I already have a ride home."

And with that Tara/Terra took a little while to concentrate and raised a platform of the ground, before jumping on board leaving Beast boy behind. Sighing a bit in disappointment that he didn't get to kiss Tara goodbye, he got caught off guard when Tara swooped in and stole one final kiss from him for today before she took off again towards home, out of curiousity she took a glance back only to see Beast boy shifting out of several types of monkeys and apes all the while doing a silly dance number out of sheer happiness which in turn made her feel happy.

'fucking Christ I feel sick to my stomach knowing he makes me feel that way'

Back at Tara's apartment.

As Tara came home through the door she noticed she had company, one that turned out to be a very familiar face, her 'handler'.

"you're late…"

Tara/Terra tired and not amused at this point could not have given a fuck about choosing her words carefully while responding.

"yeah yeah… whatever you say old man just change your tune you sound like a fucking broken record….."

Instead of continuing the same old song between the two Death-Stroke did something that Tara/Terra could not have seen coming, he swiftly lunged at her, punched her in the stomach and while still trying to catch her breathing, he grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her up a few feet from the ground.

"you know what…..?, you're right, so instead of a broken record, how about a broken neck instead?"

The fact that Tara/Terra never saw that surprise attack didn't mean that she would go down without a fight so on her part she squirmed in Death-Stroke's grip while trying to utter a few words, however the grip kept tightening up while Death-Stroke smirked to himself ,as the contour on the mask was indicating.

"speak up dear I can't hear you."

Right as her life started to flash before her eyes, a thought flashed as well, so without a moment to spare she quickly let her body go limp, making Death-Stroke in turn lay her body on the floor.

"little girl I expected more of you… now get up, I'm not an idiot to fall for a trick I taught you…"

Tara/Terra quickly opened her eyes as she crawled up from the floor only uttering the next phrase.

"I fucking hate your guts….."

Death-Stroke in turn just shrugged his shoulders silently saying 'it lost it's meaning kid' as he walked towards the kitchen while Terra/Tara was still wheezing and coughing.

"don't ever call me a kid again….. I'm fucking 19 you dumb bastard."

Death-Stroke couldn't care less about what the poor excuse for a blonde bimbo had to say, instead he lined all the weapons he was currently carrying on what now would be the most clean kitchen counter this shithole of an apartment could provide while inspecting and cleaning his arsenal thoroughly.

"do you really want to spend your last moments on earth cursing me?… or do you want to find an excuse to spare your miserable life… go on try it, as I recall you're good at finding excuses….."

Tara/Terra finally got up from the floor but instead of getting some much satisfaction on the old bastard, she simply walked away towards the door but not before saying.

"no excuses… I'm currently working on an angle….. and thanks to you I now have all the leverage I need….. you can show yourself out…."

Tara got out of the building and headed towards Titan's tower, she considered just floating over there but instead she decided to take the scenic route, that way she could mull over the new act she would have to sell to those sceptic motherfuckers and better yet hook Beast boy once and for all. She began traversing the streets of Jump City on foot until she was in a decent enough neighborhood so a cab would stop for her, hailing a cab took a while bt in the end someone stopped, so she climbed it without delay.

"the closer you could get to Titan's tower."

The cabbie, thankfully a quiet one at that, didn't say nothing and instead just kept on driving, leaving Tara to relax while a quiet pop song was playing currently on the radio, too bad it was a pop song she hated, Last Christmas by Wham. As a testament to her fatigue, she didn't bother to complain only to realize something really important.

'fuck… I'm not carrying cash on me…. no matter that's what Gar is for'

Titan's tower, a few minutes later.

Beast boy was currently having a discussion/argument with Starfire and Night-wing about who else but Tara Markov, the issue? Convincing the power couple to let Tara spend Christmas eve with the Titans.

"Beast boy for the last and final time, the answer to your query is no, I cannot in good conscious risk our group by allowing Tara to join our Christmas festivities….. she is simply too untrustworthy…."

Beast boy persistent as he was didn't quit until he played his trump card.

"you honestly think I can't see that?… well I do, I can also see however that Tara is all alone in the city for the holidays… you of all people should know what it feels like to be alone…"

At that Starfire stopped and was now facing Beast boy with a stone cold serious expression.

"first of all that was underhanded of you, second I am never really alone….. and lastly and more importantly I have felt the sting of betrayal before by a family member no less, therefore that's a lesson in trust I have never forgotten and I hope you will not have to learn on your flesh…."

At this point she expected Beast boy to be disappointed with himself along with the accompanying feelings of self anger, sadness and guilt, so she chose to do the only thing she was certain would work, she gently hugged him and patted him on his head like a big sister would do to a little brother, her little brother, Ryand'r.

"now repeat after me… 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'….."

Beast boy repeated this iconic line a few time until he visibly calmed down and was now addressing him directly.

"now if we are done here, there is still the matter of completing you training for the day while in the meantime I'll be heading outside for a bit to replenish my own energy, as of now run along…"

But before she could finish Beast boy was already gone towards the gym while Starfire smiled to herself before she headed outside herself

Outside of Titan's tower,early evening.

Starfire was taking a small stroll near the tower thinking now would be a good idea to take a little swim, well that was her intention anyway until she noticed an old fashioned cab coming to a halt near the pier closest to the tower, well ordinarily she would just go about her business, however the person who stepped out of the passenger side changed it, it was none other than Tara Markov and as Starfire eyed the petite blonde she noticed the bruising on her neck.

'that cannot be a good omen…..'

Flying over to the blonde,she quickly noticed that she got caught up in a discussion with the cabbie about the fare.

"how much does she owe you good sir…?"

The cabbie taking notice of the bombshell alien replied with.

"15 bucks plus a tip… no exceptions and no favors….."

Taking one good luck at Tara Starfire quickly realized what seemed the source of the problem and addressed the driver.

"please wait right here I shall return with your payment momentarily…"

The cabbie pleased with the proceedings simply took a smug glance towards his cheapskate fare before uttering the following.

"see?… if you would've behaved like that nice girly everything would be a lot easier for both of us…."

Tara in no mood for another argument just settled for shooting daggers at the man telling him effectively without a single word.

'bite me…..'

As Starfire said she quickly returned, payed the cabbie the taxy fare and escorted Tara towards the tower.

Once Starfire and Tara were in the elevator towards the Titan's common room both teens were awkwardly and deathly silent, either of them knowing how to address one another, that is until Tara started the conversation in a very low tone, almost to the point of whispering.

"listen, let's be real, I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here… it's just I didn't have anyone else to turn to…. well except for Gar….. I mean Beast boy….."

Hearing that Starfire continued the flow of the conversation.

"if we are being honest among ourselves, then allow me the courtesy of doing the same…. we do not hate you or wish to isolate you further, we simply are against your methods and behavior….."

Having returning to silence again Starfire took a closer look on Tara's bruise which made said blonde a bit self conscious before reaching for her communicator and changing the destination of the elevator to the infirmary.

"Raven your presence in the infirmary is most requested please meet me there immediately…"

At this point a few short moments of silence passed before Tara spoke up.

"thank you for not telling Raven that I'm here…"

Starfire however grew a slight cold attitude.

"do not thank me yet….. we are merely treating your wounds so you could defend yourself properly against your attacker….."

Tara took her chance to hook the Titans once again into her plans.

"even if the threat is a common enemy like let's say… Death-Stroke?"

Just as about Tara finished her sentence Starfire changed her demeanor from cold to determined, however she did turn to Tara and with a gesture of her finger she told her to stay put just as Raven materialized in the room and with Starfire leaving the room Raven wasted no time and gently laid her hands on Tara's neck, manifesting her healing abilities.

"you know….. if I didn't know any better I would've thought of you as a dyke…"

Raven at that comment gave a small, almost non existent smirk.

"oh no…. even if I was… I got higher standards than brats like you…"

Titan's common room, an hour or so later…

Tara walked out into the room with Raven in tow watching her like a hawk, while the rest of the Titans watched her with trepidation for any signs of trouble the blonde most likely would've brought with her, all the while Tara searched for Gar/Beast boy who wasn't present in the room.

"excuse me where's Ga… I mean Beast boy….?"

Cyborg chose to answer first on the Titans behalf.

"Beast boy ain't here at the moment… can we take a message for him instead?…"

Tara just stayed silent and clammed up until Night-wing chose to break the ice.

"Star says you got attacked by Death-Stroke… does that mean you're gonna help us stop him this time…?"

Tara showed the recently healed wounds on her neck, replying with.

"well since he tried to kill me a few hours ago….. I don't have a lot of choices now do I…?"

In the meantime Beast boy walked into the room, seeing Tara talking to the Titans.

"okay… what did I miss…..?"

While Beast boy was catching up on the latest developments Tara was offered by Night=wing her old guest room back and as he escorted her to said room Tara spoke up.

"let me guess in a few minutes you'll come by later to be debriefed on Death-Stroke's last known locations, am I right…"

Night-wing seemingly a little offended/ taken a back by her response simply replied with.

"you're right….. I pride myself on being pragmatic…. honestly though that would come much later after dinner and some much needed rest….."

Tara eyed him a little suspiciously, a fact that did not escape him, so he chose to answer in a manner that she'll understand.

"you're no useful to us if you're hungry or tired."

As they reached the guest room's door Night-wing quickly punched a temporary access code to the room, allowing Tara to settle down again before heading back the way he came, in the meantime Tara already felt herself as if she was home and stripped off her uniform before climbing into bed and crashed he head on the pillow, quickly dozing off into a deep sleep.

About 30 minutes went by before Tara heard a knock on the door, mumbling in her sleep she told her visitor to come in so she could go back to sleep, and with that her visitor came in, to her pleasure it was Beast boy.

"dinner is served my lady, chicken breasts with little to no vegetables with the side of mashed potatoes, with an extra dose of salt to your liking… enjoy"

Tara enjoying the pampering she was treated by her boyfriend, simply patted her bed right next to her legs.

"well since you're being so sweet…how about we make it dinner for two?

Beast boy/Gar began to blush a bit now that he noticed the discarded clothes on the floor before nodding and turning towards the desk in the room and pulled out the office chair, serving dinner in bed.

As they both started eating Beast boy tried desperately not to stare at Tara for too long while also avoiding the chicken meat, a fact that Tara picked up on right away and started teasing him over it, at first it began innocent enough with her trying to baby feed him the meat, then after a few moments she began to "lose" her grip over her sheets only to mess with him some more but Beast boy in return averted his eyes every time that happened, however no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get rid of the mental images which in turn made his uniform feel tight around the crotch area and nobody could have missed that.

"say is that a fork in your pants…. or are you happy to see me…?"

Beast boy trying to play dumb replied with.

"I…..I…..I really don't know what you're talking about…"

Before he could continue further Tara set the plate aside and crawled on all four shushing him with her index finger on his mouth.

"just relax Tara knows what this boy needs…"

With that she lowered her hand towards his crotch and started massaging it slowly and seductively making Beast boy take a deep breath trying to keep himself in check, trying with great difficulty not to moan while in the meantime he was thinking, well attempting to anyway.

'what I really need right now….. is a cold shower….'

Right at that moment the Titan's alarm sounded all over the building, signaling a crime was currently being committed, which kinda pissed Tara, however Beast boy/Gar just sighed in relief, saying something quietly to God himself.

'not what I had in mind but thanks…'

With that Beast boy leaps out of Tara's bed, running towards the exit while fixing his uniform, withing a split second he turns around to Tara asking her.

"are you coming…..?"

The crime scene in question is one of Jump's city national banks and as soon as the Titans plus Terra arrived Cyborg began scanning the surroundings detecting in the process who and where the perpetrators were, identifying in the process something all too familiar.

"okay I got good news and bad news, which one do you want first…?"

"bad news." Starfire and Night-wing said in unison making the both of them to smile a bit at the occurrence, Cyborg paying no mind at the moment simply replied with.

"it's our H.I.V.E buddies… and only them, that's the good news for those wondering….."

Night-wing quietly took a moment to contemplate before asking Cyborg the following.

"can you try and see if those creeps own some shares in the bank by any chance….?"

Cyborg only gave a thumbs up in response while Starfire rallied the others up, heading towards the bank.

"Wonder Girl and Terra you will remain behind guarding the front and rear entrance, in the meantime Beast boy you shall accompany me with a full frontal assault while Raven heals and evacuate hostages… Titans together…."

With that every titan splits up to his assigned position, while Terra shouted out loud.

"dibs on the front entrance…."

In the meanwhile Night-wing said to no one in particular as Cyborg continued to search his computer systems for any leads remaining close by to give the cops all the backup they could require while Night-wing occupied himself with crowd control duty.

"tell me, you want to find some dirt on H.I.V.E to use against them right….?"

Night-wing only smirked confirming Cyborg's observation.

Two hours later, back at Titan's ops room.

After successfully stopping the bank heist and dealing yet another defeat for the organization known as H.I.V.E the Titans came back home triumphant, a fact that Cyborg decided is a cause for celebrating.

"i don't know about you guys but we should celebrate… not only we scored a victory… we scored a victory with Terra not getting us killed or her killing anybody in the process…"

Everybody in the room couldn't help but give a grin at the jab, even the serious members of the group, except for Terra, who flipped off Cyborg at the joke on her personal expense, which now sent everyone into a laughing fit. A few long moments passed after everyone calmed down and Night-wing being his usual self bid everyone a polite exit, citing that he will be in his room checking the info he and Cyborg managed to get out of this incident, however before he could continue towards his room Beast boy chipped in.

"really?… you can't stop working even for a day….?"

Night-wing just sadly smiled before replying.

"sorry Beast boy not tonight…. bad habits die hard…. speaking of bad habits, keep acting like you did tonight Terra and maybe after a while you'll reach the status of honorary Titan."

Terra tried her best not to roll her eyes in a sarcastic manner but instead she gave him a simple thanks and with that he departed. Soon afterwards the rest of the Titans departed back to their rooms, citing that they're too tired to party right now including Cyborg who needed to recharge his power cells, leaving Beast boy and Terra alone.

"so it looks like it's a party for just us then…."

Chuckling a little Terra got close to Beast boy as she started whispering in his ear.

"believe me… if you party with me you won't know what will happen to your pants… or in them….."

With that said and done Tara/Terra left Beast boy alone to gawk, stutter and make a complete fool of himself trying to fight off a blush creeping in by the implication of her words, a few moments later he discovered something even more embarrassing for him, not only he was caught off guard now he clearly felt a creamy sensation down towards his crotch area.

'god I hope no one noticed it….'

In the meantime Tara instead of going to her room was now currently walking towards Night-wing's quarters with no apparent reason, well one minor reason anyway. She was curious of the fact that maybe his recent compliment to her made him change his mind about her, thus finally furthering her mission along, but before she could go any further she felt a weird sensation come over her, so she turned around almost meeting face to face with Raven, surprising the hell out of her.

"whoa… guess that whole dyke business wasn't so far off after all…."

Unmoved by such attempts at insults Raven bluntly asks.

"your room is in the opposite direction… what are you doing here?…"

Tara on instinct went on the defensive.

"wait a minute there… who said I'm up to something… ever think I was maybe an insomniac?…"

Raven at that just gave her a raised eyebrow in skepticism, which unfortunately had cornered Tara into confessing the truth.

"okay you win…. earlier this evening Night-wing gave me an indirect compliment… so I was just wondering if he has any more nice things to say about me…. it makes me feel good hearing compliments…."

Raven only replied with.

"wait patiently…"

Tara wanted to lash out at the smart ass of a bitch Raven was but without any warning she vanished out of sight, leaving the confused blonde to imitate her childishly as she made her way to the guest room.

Time flew by quickly and Christmas was now but a few days away and the entire tower was Immersed in the holiday spirit with Night-wing and Starfire taking the initiative to make sure every member of the Titans gets a present this year, Cyborg being the guy that he was volunteered to be in charge of transportation that day due to Donna wishing to include her boyfriend and his daughter in the festivities, which left Tara, Beast boy and Raven alone for now in the tower.

Raven at the moment got snug in the living room with a good book in hand while the other manipulated the Christmas ornaments that they would arrange themselves on the fir tree in the living room, much like the enchanted broomsticks from Fantasia. Beast boy surprisingly to all was put in charge of cooking the holiday dinner and to add yet another surprise, there was no cause to call the fire department.

As the smell of the main dish and deserts filled the tower with it's aroma, eventually Tara graced everyone with her presence as she walked towards the tower's kitchen area.

"hmmm…. smells good… when do we eat…?"

Raven at this point wanted to give Tara a piece of her mind, however Beast boy beat her to the punch.

"well we'll start eating as soon as everyone finishes their chores for today….. that is including yours….."

Tara at that gave him a quizzical look fused with an angered expression saying silently 'are you for real?' as Beast boy continued oblivious to the fact that he's one wrong word away from castration.

"yeah I am for real…. and guess what… you'll have the honor of shoveling snow from from the drive way and the roof top….. now there's a snow shovel in the utility closet, so off you go…"

As Tara began to protest, whine, complain and beg all in the same time Raven couldn't help but give a pleased smile on her face.

Sighing a sigh of relief when he saw Tara heading outside muttering in protest, raven didn't miss her cue to add a smart remark.

"trouble in paradise…?"

Beast boy just gave her a funny look before responding.

"no….. I'm just glad that she didn't bamboozled me into shoveling snow on a cold winter day…"

Raven at this point continued on reading while simultaneously continued the conversation.

"you're not out of the woods yet… you got dinner to cook and serve, and if by any chance you burn it, well… your goose is cooked…"

With that said and done Beast boy gulped a little and with a swift motion has opened the oven door for a few moments just to close it yet again, Raven in turn gave him a quizzical look before he answered her unasked question.

"just making sure I'm actually cooking a turkey…."

Later that evening most of the Titans were sharing the holiday spirit with each other and their loved ones, the exception being those that couldn't make it due to rise in crime spree over Christmas or either they already made commitments to spend time with blood relatives, thankfully though the ones who did attend dinner got along well with each other, in the midst of dinner though Tara quietly slipped away from the table but not quiet enough for Beast boy not to notice.

"excuse me folks, something came up…. but I'll be back in time for desert.…"

With that Beast boy began to search all over the tower for Tara before realizing she must have snuck outside for some fresh air, so he headed outside almost as fast as Kid Flash could, well key word being almost.

'i wonder what she could be doing outside anyway….'

Outside with Tara, late evening.

Tara at the moment was manipulating her powers for one of the most challenging and taxing feet yet, not running away or slaying someone but rather she was trying to make a piece of art utilizing her abilities, Beast boy having located her has decided to remain silent and observe what she was doing, realizing eventually, albeit vaguely what it was supposed to be, a statue of him and her together and strangely as it may seems he felt actually empty inside.

'why do I feel that way….. she's trying her best… well sure by how she acts she thought of it on the last possible second… yet is that really enough to let it slide…..?'

Instead of wracking his brain over this particular question, he chose instead to return to the tower and spend the rest of the evening with his family and friends and afterwards return to his room before Santa will come, yeah it was weird at the age of 15 to still naively believing Santa really existed but due to life constantly dealing him a raw hand, he cherished deeply his childhood memories.

Later that night he finally made it to his room after sipping one eggnog too much, to say he was tipsy would've been the understatement of the century however he was still lucid enough to keep himself straight, before he entered his room though he noticed a neat package placed against his door, he picked it up and hazily noticed a note attached to it and as he opened the note it read the following.

'Merry Christmas, although I don't celebrate it, I would like to extend this present to you….. yes you Garfield….. thank you for being my teammate, my friend and a part of a family I never knew I was actually missing…

Sincerely yours Raven.

P.S I don't celebrate Christmas… I'm Jewish.'

Laughing a little at that last titbit Beast boy went inside his room and slowly opened the present, inside was a frame that folded to hold three pictures, the first one was old and a little warn depicting Gar's biological mom and dad, the middle one depicted the Titans grouped together with the tower right behind them and finally the last one depicted Beast boy's surrogate family, The Doom Patrol with the following caption written in this particular order.

'whenever you feel lonely… just remember…. that feeling doesn't have to be your reality…'

Beast boy began to feel tears well up in his eyes as the Christmas present moved him, so without a second thought he ran over to the dresser in his bedroom and fished out of a messy drawer a somewhat messily wrapped gift, this gift was marked 'for Raven' which stood next to a smaller looking gift marked 'for Tara'. quickly picking up the bigger gift he hurried towards the exit intent of reaching the living room, however when he reached the exit he was unceremoniously tackled by Tara.

"ouch….. you don't have to hurt me to show you love me… unless you're into that…"

Beast boy trying to get up and get Tara off of him for a bit simply replied with.

"sorry….. can you wait for me awhile?… I have a present to give for Christmas….."

And with a second wind he bolted yet again leaving Tara all alone in his room, Tara did not mind she quickly took advantage and began snooping around in his room eventually finding her way to his dresser drawer and finding the package with her name on it.

"aw you shouldn't have…"

Tara started tearing up the wrapping paper and quickly discovered it's a jewellery case, she opened it impatiently only to discover the following, it was a necklace made out of shells painted turquoise, with a little note that read. 'to the most beautiful girl I ever had the luck of knowing, a fitting necklace to match those gorgeous blue eyes you got'.

At first Tara wanted to throw aside the tacky jewellery, however she chose to wear it instead while trying to find room in that pig sty for her present, however she didn't find a place so she decided to make a place by removing the picture frame and placing instead a small statue she made of hers and Beast boy's, in reality though it was a collection of misshapen rocks that they couldn't be identified as anything but abstract, now Tara quickly read what was scrolled on the photos before thinking to herself.

'god this is the corniest and stupidest thing I've ever read… I'm sure you'll enjoy my gift a lot more Gar….'

With that Tara left the room very much pleased with herself, well more than she usually is anyway.

A few moments later Beast boy returned to his room only to find his bed in a little disarray, seemingly unphased by what happened he quickly caught on to the scene taking place as he made a quick stop at the bathroom, and while preparing for bed he couldn't help but wonder out loud.

"well I hope she likes it….."

Returning to bed he got a good look now on what was left on his dresser, it was a really small, rough looking statue of Tara and himself while Tara taking predominance in the piece as it's main focus, at first it would look like a small gesture but in reality, given what Beast boy witnessed early on, there was clearly little thought put into it, however being considerate as he was he couldn't bring himself to throw it away, so he carefully picked it up and brought it over to his room's desk and placed it somewhere safe that it wouldn't fall, fidgeting with it a bit, he tried to find a good way to showcase it, he failed, considerate as he may be he couldn't get over his initial thought that it was, according to his own words, too damn ugly so in the end he face the little statue with its front towards the inner wall, now trying to find something positive to say to end the day on a similar sentiment, all he could think about was the following.

'at least it could be useful as a paperweight… yeah that sounds about right…'

With that he quickly got into bed, not bothering to place the clothes he has stripped off in any kind of order as he tried closing his eyes, trying to ease himself into sleep, however due to it being Christmas, the excitement was too much to bear so for about half an hour Beast boy couldn't fall asleep, he tried at first drinking a sip of water but that didn't help, then he began to sweat off the excitement from his body, that helped a little but not enough, so in the end he got out a pair of earphones and connected them to a radio he had in his room, hoping that well placed music will put him to sleep, as he turned on the radio he was greeted by a classy song by an equally classy guy, Strangers In The Night sung by Frank Sinatra.

Listening to the melody Beast boy quickly relaxed and fell asleep not bothering removing the earphones with his last thoughts being.

'new day… new possibilities… new adventures…'

Now snoring away peacefully beast boy couldn't help but smile a little knowing that the picture frame is back in place 'acting' as his guardian angel.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: welcome to the Atlantic.

It's been a few weeks since Christmas has come and pass and life has resumed on a regular basis, unfortunately it meant crime has started to resume as well, from every type too from mugging, burglary, fraud, Robberies and Grand Theft Autos, however that didn't deter the Titans from doing their duty.

Titan's tower, Night-wing's room, early morning.

Night-wing has per his bad habits pulled yet an all nighter causing him to fall asleep in his chair with his longtime girlfriend and lover, Starfire, coming in to drape a thin blanket over him while she shamelessly stripped her nightgown and fell asleep on his bed face down, a couple of hours past and the room felt blissfully peaceful until Night-wing's communicator went off.

Waking up abruptly Night-wing quickly checked the ID caller.

'Aqua-Lad?… haven't heard from him in a while….'

Quickly looking around he saw Starfire snuggling in his bed which made him smile for a moment before switching his communicator to sound only, making sure to respond in a whisper.

"Aqua-Lad it's been awhile… how's it going…is it a social call or business…?"

Aqua-Lad responded the following.

"i'm afraid it's mostly business….. can your team meet me on the way to Atlantis?, I'll explain more on route…"

Still drowsy a little Night-wing responded quickly.

"sure don't sweat it….. just let me figure out who's best suited for the mission and I'll get back to you in an hour or two."

Aqua-Lad smirked on the other line.

"an all nighter….?, things never change with you…."

Night-wing smirked at that comment mentioning quietly that he has to go at this point, to which Aqua-Lad let him off the hook this time with that said and done Night-wing shut off his communicator and started to strip until he wore nothing but his skivvies, climbing into bed he wasted no time and passionately kissed Starfire's neck and shoulder blades, laying as close to her as he possibly could.

"oh Richard….. why have you ceased with your kisses…..?"

Night-wing absolutely enjoying this right now has captured her lips with his, replying in between kisses.

"exhaustion love… besides we've got a mission pending soon and we all could use the rest….."

Slowly Starfire started to show a smirk of her own which caught Night-wing's attention.

"how soon did you say we are obliged to leave…..?"

Closing the distance between them into mere inches Richard replied.

"don't worry… not that soon…."

An undisclosed warehouse, Jump City Docks, a few minutes later.

Terra/ Tara Markov could be seen wondering around the area in anticipation for someone to arrive, her face conveyed an attitude of 'business before anything else, which is why after a s few seconds she decided to enter a particular warehouse when she detected a movement there, entering she was engulfed in shadows and before long the figure she witnessed decided to speak.

"state your business quickly… I have no time nor patience dealing with mere children…"

Terra/Tara smirked at that comment.

"that's funny… I feel the same for stooges… tell your boss that if she doesn't want to find her H.I.V.E minions killed one after the other….. she'll meet with me in the flesh to hear my… business proposition."

The H.I.V.E representative gave a curt nod while heading to exit the complex.

"you overestimate my importance in the organization young lady….. even if I could arrange such a meeting… our majesty is quite busy at the moment on another matter… we'll contact you at a later date until then adieu madam Markov…"

However as he tried to proceed on out he felt like his feet were anchored to the ground, in a state of crippling fear he tilted his gaze down to see that the concrete has swallowed his legs whole as though it was quick sand.

"now now good sir….. who said we were done….?"

Looking up he saw something that truly terrified him, he saw Terra floating on a small platform made of concrete while next to her stood another construct of concrete, however this one was shaped in the form of a snake.

"now let me explain it to you simply… you're not walking away unharmed, I'm gonna torture intell out of you and then I'm gonna keep torturing you just because it's fun for me….. savvy?".

Unfortunately for her as soon as she finished her monologue her captive has fainted due to sheer fright which prompted Tara to roll her eyes and mutter out the following.

"great out of all the criminals I've could come into contact with I happened to land on the squeamish type…. no matter I've got a few minutes to spare…"

Titan's tower, ops room. 6 hours later.

Terra, returning from her little walk, has now entered the ops room where all the Titans were waiting patiently for her apparently, as soon she crossed the entrance Starfire spoke up.

"since Tara has decided to grace us with her presence…. at long last, Night-wing would you be so kind to start the debriefing?"

Night-wing suppressing a laugh at how Starfire chose to begin the conversation has decided to continue on as though nothing happened.

"earlier today we received an unexpected call from Aqua-Lad asking us for help on a small matter….."

With Night=wing approaching the ops room's console and uploading a few files he continued the debriefing.

"what you are about to be shown is a video captured from Atlantis itself right before this happened…"

He played the footage and while it was fragmented and under lit, it showed the following, a few unidentified vessels swallowing whole Atlantean ships while a group of unidentified divers being led by the under water villain known as Trident conducting a raid on Atlantis's weapons storage facilities before the video shut down abruptly.

"need I say more…..?"

But before he could get another word in he saw Beast boy taking off towards his room.

"Beast boy where are you off to in such a hurry…?"

Beast boy awkwardly replied the following.

"i was going to pack up my bags… last time I forgot to bring waterproof underwear, it was a mess….."

Seeing that he couldn't argue with that logic, he dismissed him but not before he reminded him the following, to remember that this was a mission, not a holiday vacation.

With that in mind he already secured the first volunteer so he simply asked the following.

"well then anymore volunteers or should I pick myself?….."

"count me in…" came the voice of one Wally West A.K.A Kid Flash…"

Night-wing at that gave a smirk that said 'welcome aboard'

With that addition in mind Night-wing divided the team into two, one team would go to Atlantis to provide assistance to Aqua-Lad while the second group will provide backup on ground level. The following team up were divided to: Starfire, Night-wing, Kid Flash and Beast boy were heading to Atlantis while Cyborg was left in charge with Wonder Girl, Raven and Terra as auxiliary line up, with that both teams went about their business with Night-wing catching up to Kid Flash.

"you were timing your entrance weren't you?…."

Kid Flash was caught a little off guard but he tried to play it off as no big deal.

"oh come on there little Ricky…. do I look like someone who would do that…..?"

Night-wing said nothing but the following.

"yes."

With that Kid Flash had nothing to say or quip so he ran ahead towards the Titan's underwater launching bay.

A few hours later, in the Titan's submarine.

Starfire and Night-wing were navigating and steering the sub towards Atlantis while Kid Flash was put on monitors duty largely so he's have something to focus on other than claustrophobia and motion sickness while Beast boy chose to take the scenic route in the form of a great white shark, well not so white in his particular case.

"say you got a torpedo haul on this sardine can…?, I could really use the opportunity to stretch my legs right about now…"

Night-wing trying to show some patience just remarked the following with an sarcastic edge.

"believe me….. if we had one, you'd be the first we'd test it on…"

Kid Flash just shrugged and kept his eyes on his monitors while Beast boy out of sheer boredom has decided to transform into various aquatic animals while doing synchronized swimming like it was an Olympic event at the local pool, letting Kid Flash wonder out loud.

"should we let him inside….?"

At that moment the room fell deadly silent with Night-wing giving kid Flash a sharp look that said.

'the only thing that's worse than your whining is Beast boy's jokes'

A few minutes kept on passing by and as the minutes kept on passing Kid Flash noticed that Beast boy in his shark form began to swim dangerously close to the submarine with an unreadable expression on his face which prompted Kid Flash to ask his friends.

"do you think Beast boy can read our minds somehow….?"

Kid Flash expected an answer however the Titan's kept quiet until they reached their destination.

The kingdom of Atlantis, Aqua-man's palace. Grand hall.

Aqua-Lad was waiting to meet the rest of the Titans after arranging them safe passage into the underwater city when he saw oddly enough that only Beast boy arrived to greet him.

"not that I'm unhappy to see you Beast boy but where are the rest of you…..?"

In a matter of fact Beast boy simply answered.

"they'll arrive shortly… they're just trying to find a decent parking space…"

Far too polite to make a jab at Beast boy's sense of humor Aqua-Lad just gave a nod stating.

"i see your sense of humor hasn't changed much…."

At this particular time Kid Flash zoomed by towards the dinner hall, shooting the next quick remark.

"Starfire and little Ricky will soon follow, just as soon Ricky will make a perfect parallel parking…"

Aqua-Lad in a dead pan monotone just said.

"make yourself at home why don't you…."

Beast boy was about to join him too feeling his stomach rumbling, but before he could go any further Aqua-lad stopped him by grabbing lightly on his collar.

"you're gonna make sure he doesn't make the kitchen or dinner hall into a war zone got it?….."

Beast boy comically started to protest at that prospect.

"but I'm hungry too…."

Sympathizing Aqua-Lad just replied with this.

"i know… however I have a duty to attend to, so I'm counting on you….."

Beast boy gave an understanding nod which prompted Aqua-lad to release him, allowing Beast boy to leave while he headed towards the exit and towards the scene of the crime.

The Atlantis armory, a few minutes later.

Aqua-Lad arrived just in time to see his old friend Robin, only now known as Night-wing surveying the place for clues and leads with Starfire providing assistance however she can.

"i had a hunch I'll find you here from the start…."

Night-wing just gave a sly smile when Aqua-Lad officially greeted Starfire as well.

"that's really smart of you… you should be a detective…"

Aqua-lad just gave him a funny look that said silently 'Ha' before pressing on.

"anything came up so far….?"

Without even looking at him Night-wing was quick on the uptake.

"inconclusive….. I've sent a few scans of samples to the tower for analysis….. we should get results in a short while… by the way….. Wally has already started raiding the fridge, isn't he…?"

Garth/Aqua-Lad at this point gave Night-wing a knowing smirk that said 'well what do you think?'

Sighing that nothing is new anymore and that history tends to repeat Night-wing decided to head back with Starfire and Aqua-Lad back to the underwater palace when he decided to ask a favor from the aquatic teenaged hero.

"say can Aqua-man arrange for you to come to the surface as a diplomatic capacity…..? we honestly could use backup and new blood at the tower."

Aqua-Lad at this point gained a smirk on his face when he replied.

"gee you better come up with a good incentive….. that's going to be a tall order even for me…."

Night-wing smirked back.

"well if it's a 'bribe' you want, how about this….. an all paid vacation for you and Tulla….. your choice of destination…."

Aqua-Lad at this point didn't say anything he just approached his friend Richard and gave him a solid handshake.

"now let's get back to the dinner hall before we starve to death"

Back at the Dinner hall the Titans all sat down for a nice albeit late lunch with everyone eating at their own pace in a calm fashion, well everyone except Kid Flash who ate as though he was Gandhi after ending an hunger strike. A few solid minutes after all of them have finished eating, a small beeping noise came from one of Night-wing's gloves,at that he immediately checked it.

"looks like Cyborg found some results on our mysterious evidence… and as I suspected it, it involves H.I.V.E…"

Aqua-Lad at that waited patiently while everyone just nodded in understanding.

"care to fill me in?…."

Night-wing apologized as he started debriefing his old friend leaving no major detail out of the conversation.

As the debriefing was over so was the lunch and just like Aqua-Lad said he immediately left to talk with Aqua-man leaving the rest of the team to enjoy themselves in the comfortable mood the ocean scenery offered.

"guys I got a question, since we were eating under the sea… did we technically ate seafood…?"

Immediately everyone else in the room gave Beast boy a dead pan stare that said.

'you did not just go there'.

Titan's tower, ops room. Early afternoon.

Cyborg at the moment was currently busy scanning the Titan's network Grid for any sign or activity from their long time foes as well as monitoring H.I.V.E with Wonder Girl training herself in the tower's gym and Terra, well off being Terra and Raven making sure that Terra being herself won't lead to the next Chernobyl, so in essence the tower was completely quiet for the time being which Cyborg could agree was bliss.

About half an hour passed by until Cyborg got an alert that the Titan's sub was about to dock back at base, which in turn Cyborg muttered.

"well so much for my peace and quiet…"

Withing a few moments later Beast boy and Kid flash burst through the ops room towards the living room with Cyborg playfully rolling his eyes as the rest of the Titans entered the room right behind them, noticing the guest cyborg greeted him first.

"well well what do we have here… all we need now is to call Speedy and we could have an OG style party… anyway how did you like my Christmas gift…?"

Aqua-Lad smirked while replying.

"it's good… would've been great if there wasn't a Cuban swimming in it….."

Cyborg laughed while shooting back.

"believe me I know….. it was the only water bed I could find at the time….."

Both Night-wing and Starfire coughed signaling it was time to get back on track.

Meanwhile in Jump City's downtown area.

Terra at the moment was floating a few feet from the streets apparently looking for something or someone with Raven hot on her trail keeping a close eye on the blonde girl, said blonde girl however spotted her quite quickly.

'oh look at that… little miss Wednesday Addams thinks she's Nancy Drew… now what are my options… option one shake her off completely… not gonna work, she's like a bad case of a rash….. that leaves me one option though… crap'

"you can stop now…. I know you're there Raven…"

Raven a bit surprised and angry at herself that she's been spotted had vanished from her position to reappear in front of Terra.

"I'll cut right to the point… what are you scheming this time…?"

Terra a little offended bit back her anger to try and act surprised.

"not planning anything….. just looking around for possible leads while Cyborg rusts away back at the ivory tower"

At this raven had nothing to say because as much as it pained her to admit it, Terra's little plain sounded for lack of better descriptors logical, with that in mind she contacted the tower and informed the other Titans of hers and Terra's location, hanging up immediately afterwards she addressed Terra once again.

"you want to play detective?….. fine but I'll watch you like a hawk….. that goes without saying, you're playing by my rules got it…..?"

Terra just to spite her off gave a mocking salute before asking.

"where to… Herr general…..?"

Raven wasn't phased or impressed by the juvenile attitude and simply answered with.

"since you like to spend your time on the streets you decide…. now be a good little bitch and lead the way…. Fraulein….."

Terra grimaced thinking to herself.

'i should have launched a rock into her brains when I had a chance…. a really big one too'

A couple of hours went by and in that time Terra and Raven have been searching for leads about the missing Atlantis weaponry in every dock Jump City had to offer.

"I'll wring your neck if this turns out into yet another dead end…"

As Terra and Raven trespassed into what turned out to be the 13th management office Terra decided to look around while Raven stood guard and also surveying the area especially on where trucks would normally park, that's when she noticed a significant detail, multiple tire tracks some quite old and one almost brand new. Realizing this she immediately contacted Cyborg.

"hey no time for niceties….. I'm sending you my and Terra's current coordinates, can you access the security camera?… I think we found a solid lead on the Atlantis weapons case…"

Cyborg replied back.

"of course I can… but what am I looking for…..?"

Terra at this point decided to butt into the conversation.

"hey there metal breath… basically we want to know if where there any trucks leaving this dump in the last couple of hours and where to…."

Cyborg cracked his knuckles saying.

"no problem hang on a little….."

A few seconds went by when Cyborg replied.

"the only truck I've seen so far leaving is a Chevrolet Apache…sending you the destination now…"

Raven quickly took control back of her communicator while checking for any new data she might receive, checking for a little while she finally found the way point she's been looking for before replying to Cyborg.

"got it…. I'll contact back once I….. we get results,,,,,,"

At that Terra rolled her eyes at how corny Raven sounded following the teams protocol.

An hour or so passed by and both teen girls have arrived at a deserted factory just about on the edge of the city, Terra being the chattier of the two girls couldn't help making the next sarcastic remark.

"how original…"

Raven being prone to sarcasm herself has decided instead of chiming in with her so called friend opted instead to shush her and pull her into a hiding spot nearby.

"what the fuck is wrong with you you goddamn dyke…"

Raven in a whispered tone just replied.

"shut up…. we need a plan….. or the very least an approach."

Terra in an amused tone and with a cocky grin simply shot back.

"well I don't know about you but I'm in favor for charging in, find the weapons and take down the bastards in the process….. for good if it has to be….."

Raven at this point was at a loss for words at how casual Terra is about the thought about killing people, Terra never missing that expression for a second shot back in her defense.

"listen creepy, I don't know what you were taught and honestly I don't give a shit….. I just know two things… all people are opportunistic in nature and it's kill or be killed out here… so for the love of fucking Christ get off your moral high horse….."

Raven never said a thing however Terra couldn't predict what was about to come next, Raven has actually slapped her across her face, to add insult to injury that slap was a ringing one to boot, leaving Terra only to watch with shock on her face as Raven started talking again.

"listen close airhead….. I'm gonna sneak inside and recon the place… until I get back you do not move or take a breath without my permission….. you do either of those things you can forget about the other cheek cause I'll deck you right in the nose….. nod once if you got it….."

A genuinely threatened Terra just nodded as instructed before Raven disappeared into the shadows.

Inside the deserted factory with Raven.

As Raven reappeared inside the factory the first thing she did was blend into the shadows while at the same time took an attentive look around in order to take mental notes of her surroundings.

'okay what do we know so far…..? an abandoned factory suddenly goes active, check… hired goons with a few H.I.V.E members lurking about, check… said goons armed with guns and rifles, check….. now to find the ringleaders behind the operation…..'

Though that was easier said than done, the complex itself was vast and large in size with corridors and storage units that all resembled the same and the fact that there the number of shadows Raven could use to sneak around in were getting limited by the numbers due to the harsh florescence lighting being implemented in this facility didn't help much either, however before she even had time to act she heard from outside what was like a big explosion or a very loud crash which lured some of the hired goons outside while the rest went to protect the cargo crates with Raven remaining composed while she figured this would be in no doubt Terra's doing the noise outside.

Raven sighed a sigh of disappointment when she said to herself quietly.

"why nurture hope now…?"

With that said a few moments went by and the ruckus continued outside which prompted movement from the offices up and further into the building to come up to life revealing a few figureheads leading the goons chief among them was none other than Trident himself, now was the time to find out which of the Trident trio was he.

Outside the facility Terra could be seen fighting with the rest of the Titans with Raven appearing by their side, offering back up while also some much needed medical attention, all the while thinking to herself.

' geez I hate doing this… but I own an apology to Terra….. god have mercy on me with his cruel jokes…..'

Throughout all the chaos Raven failed to notice some of the goons trying to surround her and take her out only to witness them fall to their deaths by shots that came from a mystery assailant.

At the same moment Raven witnessed the goons dropping like flies before her very eyes said mystery assailant began to disassemble his sniper rifle and walk away from his vantage point, the assailant himself was concealed head to tow, however for a mere moment the light of the setting sun was caught in his right eye reflecting it back like it was a mirror.

Unbeknown to the assailant someone caught that tiny little detail among the chaos ensuing with the Titans fighting the original Trident, his clones, the H.I.V.E members and the hired goons, that someone being Terra/Tara, which in returned she gave a sly smile.

'Death-Stroke I don't know what you're playing at…. but you sealed your own fate….'

"heads up…"

Before Terra could think on it any further she was pulled back into reality while three unnamed goons have cornered her in a crossfire, launching a hail of bullets her way she tried to block them all using her Geo-Kinetic abilities but she knew some of them are still going to hit, at this moment however she witnessed Wonder Girl swoop down and blocking the rest of the bullets with her bracelets with Beast boy in toe ramming the goons in Steed form.

Terra hating being surprised and even more so despising showing being surprised had quipped with the following.

"gee Gar you just know what every girl wants don't you…..?"

Wonder Girl feeling very awkward being stuck between two very obvious lovebirds simply cleared her throat while replying.

"can you save the jokes for later… geez Cyborg was right about the two of you, you really are a couple of comedians….."

Terra unphased simply asked.

"what's crawling up your ass…?"

Wonder Girl could only at this moment give a silent alarmed face that said.

'are you kidding me… look around you.'

Taking a good look around her once again Terra suddenly got a look on her face that said 'oh right…..' just before hoping on Beast boy's back and riding off to to round up some more goons all the while Terra surveyed the area to see if she could contribute somewhere, as minimal as it could be preferably.

'let's see Beast bum and Wonder bra are too busy reenacting the old west so that's a no… golden bimbo and her sugar daddy are probably getting off on beating some more goons… not my scene….. the six million dollar tin teen?….. not worth my efforts….. the creepy dyke….. fuck her….. Kid Flash….. does anyone care about him at all….. well that leaves the handsome fish fingers… mm I'll let him finger me anytime…'

With that Terra charged on ahead to assist the new guy on the team currently giving chase to the two Trident clones while the third one quietly snuck away down towards the sewers, Aqua-Lad quickly noticed it and called out.

"Tara…. go after the original, I'll give chase after the other two….."

At this Terra stopped and gave him attitude.

"it's Terra… thank you very much…"

With that Terra instead of following the villain down to the sewers opted instead to collapse the areas around and below her hoping to flush Trident out or trap him in the sewers, Trident at this point was a few feet up ahead navigating the sewers down below, noticing that no one gave chase after him with the following thought running through his head.

'wait a minute….. no one's chasing me?…. that can't be right…..'

Trident stopped for a few moments to check if the coast was really clear only for it to be his downfall, because at that moment the sewer tunnel he was in started shaking and collapsing on top of him,however he was agile enough to escape the collapse and smart enough to swim into the sewers currents currently looking for his freedom and an a suitable escape route.

Back with Terra, who was now confused as to why her plan didn't work simply said out loud.

"oh great… what will I do now….."

Just as Terra finished saying that she suddenly came to the realization.

"hey fish fingers…. what's his face is most likely trying to return to the ocean….."

Without hesitation Aqua-Lad shot back.

"great thanks, now would you mind giving me a lift to the nearest beach….. I'm kinda weak if I'm too far from the water….."

With that Terra manipulated a piece of concrete while signaling him to hop on board, doing just that the two teens started floating towards the beach and within a few seconds Aqua-Lad quips.

"oh just so you know, it's Aqua-Lad not fish fingers… thank you very much….."

Terra just shrugs while replying.

"why bother… no one will make an effort to remember your actual name anyway….."

Aqua-Lad feeling now a little more than insulted decides to not stoop to her level while still taking the time to think to himself.

'gee Beast boy…. what kind of girls are you into…. and I thought my taste was fishy when it came to dating….'

With that said a few minutes have passed and both teens were now combing the beach looking for Trident with Aqua-Lad exclaiming.

"i located Trident dead ahead…. after him….."

Terra at this moment has joined the enthusiasm of her 'shipmate'

"aye aye captain fish…"

Sensing she was busting his balls he allowed a small grin to appear on his face as they continued with their chase.

"by the way really?… captain fish? that's the best you can come up with….?"

Before Terra could come up with an appropriate response to Aqua-Lad's remark she witnessed a commotion going on the beach with several locals and tourists running amok in a panic while Trident himself fired his weapon of choice shooting a few bolts of energy towards the crowd while he tried to reach the ocean.

At this point Aqua-Lad hopped off Terra's impromptu transportation while addressing her.

"Terra I'll leave you with crowd control, while I'll deal with our scaly friend over there….."

Terra felt a little offended by that so she chose to respond with sarcasm adding a vindictive edge to it.

"oh sure it's not like I can move a mountain or anything, better let the big strong man handle this….. now wait a minute….. yes I can move a fucking mountain…"

Having no time for nonesense Aqua-Lad made sure not to mince words.

"we need a scalpel for this next bit, you're a jackhammer on steroids…"

As Aqua-Lad leaped in hot pursuit after Trident he didn't bother with checking Terra's expression, which in turn was livid with anger as she childishly stomped her feet in place like a child not getting ice cream from his parents, in the meantime she ignored her duties as crowd control as she watched on as Aqua-Lad manipulated the water around him as weapons against Trident as she quietly muttered while glaring at Aqua-Lad.

"fish dick…"

As the battle between Aqua-Lad and Trident raged on with no clear victor on both sides Terra watched on in complete boredom for a few moments before getting up and muttered to herself yet again.

"fuck this bullshit… I'm getting myself a soda….."

A few moments have passed by and the fight still stood at a stalemate with Terra/Tara thinking.

'you gotta be fucking kidding me…..'

As Terra kept on watching on the proceeding battle she eventually felt she had enough so she started manipulating the sand itself, launching it into the sea enough times for it to become muddy, biding her time long enough so that she could find an opening to launch it on Trident. Eventually Trident did let his guard slip which Terra took as an opportunity to launch a massive projectile of mud towards his head, knocking him into the sea without ever seeing it coming, Aqua-lad was not amused by this development.

"what… no thank you for saving my life, or a job well done…?"

Aqua-Lad just dead panned his next reply.

"first, that was underhanded, second, your sense of priorities are warped, and third, your reckless actions allowed a wanted criminal to escape not once but twice….. so forgive me for not throwing you a parade right now…"

Without paying Terra any attention Aqua-Lad returned back to shore fishing his communicator out of his pockets to contact Starfire.

"this is Aqua-Lad come in I've lost Trident a midst battle….. please tell me you've had better luck than me with obtaining results….."

With a heavy sigh Starfire replied back.

"unfortunately the updates you requested fall into the favourable and unfavorable ones… it appears that the organization known as H.I.V.E was the mastermind behind the string of robberies in the kingdom of Atlantis…"

Sensing the bad news were coming Aqua-Lad let Starfire continue without interruption.

"however we misjudged their intentions….. we assumed they were to fence their stolen goods for monetary gain… that is not the case… thy are trying to reverse engineer said technology to mount an assault on the kingdom of Atlantis to secure once and for all their position of power withing the underworld…"

Aqua-lad beginning to fear a little for the well being of his people and his king swallowed his fear within a stoic facade and asked the follow up question.

" that's progress at least… any way of telling when this attack will take place…..?"

Back with the Titans Starfire answered aqua-Lad after briefly checking in with Night-wing, who in turn was interrogating the few goons and H.I.V.E members who weren't lucky enough to escape.

"we will have an answer for you shortly Aqua-Lad Starfire out, in the meantime you two return to the tower for further debriefing….."

With that Starfire closed the communicator and instructed the rest of the Titans to make sure no innocent bystanders were caught or left behind in the wake of the battle they had, after everyone but night-wing split up, she addressed the remaining Titan.

"well love did you acquire any useful intell from our enemies….?"

Night-wing, always eager to hear Starfire calling him pet names, returned the favor in a serious yet playful manner.

"in a few minutes dear… there's one more question I need to ask them…"

With that Night-wing approached his captives once again cracking his fists, crouching to their eye level and started whispering something in a low tone, apparently that was enough to get the goons to talk one more time, Starfire who witnessed the whole event couldn't help but wonder.

'would I want to know what Richard has just said…? '

Titan's tower, living room, a couple of hours later.

Within moments after Terra and Aqua-Lad returned to the tower Terra has wasted no time and jumped on the sofa lazying about in front of the TV while Aqua-Lad being the more thoughtful of the two started cooking for the entire team, Terra never missing a moment to be pampered gave a quick order from the sofa.

"hey fish fingers if you don't mind… soda… like five minutes ago….."

Politely Aqua-lad refused stating.

"no offense but inside these walls we pull our own weight….. so if you want service it's self service."

Terra grudgingly got up from the sofa thinking to herself.

'if you weren't a hot piece of ass you'd be pulling your weight with cement shoes.'

A few minutes later the rest of of the Titans returned back home only to be immediately debriefed on their next mission, defending both the surface world and Atlantis from the impending attack, which according to Night-wing's latest intell will begin in three days time.

In those three days each Titan individually and as a group have endured countless physical and mental training, even Terra joined in with training, though getting to convince her to come at her own accord was in itself a mental exercise.

Three days later, the gates to Atlantis, unspecified morning hour.

Beast boy couldn't get to sleep the night before whether it was Tara's constant attempts to distract him or the impending thought of heading off into essentially an all out war, he wasn't foolish or naive, being a hero invites trouble, a double amount of it if you're a superhero, non the less the fear of death never does goes away.

At this very moment Beast boy stood in front of the gates to Atlantis, overlooking the vast ocean in front of him, slowly breathing in and out, trying to get rid of pesimistic thoughts and fears in general when Night-wing came up on his right side.

"famous last words…..?"

Beast boy breaking concentration for a bit to laugh at his friend's remark replied.

"not this time…. I'm drawing blanks, speaking off think we'll catch someluck with the enemy shooting blanks…..?"

Night-wing with a stoic expression on his face just countered with.

"unlikely, besides blanks are just as lethal as real ones…"

Beast boy just gave him a glare that said. 'remind me never to ask you for a pep talk' which prompted Night-wing to reply.

"don't worry about it we're both too stubborn to die this easily…. besides we both now got girls to come back to right?…"

"right…." Beast boy responded unsure on how to continue the conversation when Aqua-Lad, Kid Flash and later the rest of the Titans, plus Terra came right behind the two to show them moral support, Kid Flash choosing to speak first.

"we're right behind you Beast boy….. by about 10 feet…."

Beast boy wordlessly turned to look at Night-wing and ask him with a sneering face alone.

'where did you find this joker?'

Before Night-wing could answer though Aqua-Lad got an incoming transmission from an Atlantean Scout, listening to it he broke the news to the rest of the team.

"good news… H.I.V.E will not bother with a sneak attack instead going out in full force….."

"but…" Terra interjected rudely.

"but, as you so eloquently said it…. they brought in reinforcements, they aligned themselves with Black Manta….."

Terra unimpressed and quite simply uncaring about the situation just said.

"big whoop….. sounds like a pussy to me…"

Before it could start into an argument Night-wing intervened, addressing Terra directly.

"well I'll say you have the perfect opportunity to put your money where your mouth is…"

Before she could ask what he meant, she witnessed it, a fleet of submarines representing respectively both enemy forces were steadily approaching Atlantis which made Terra immediately think.

'oh boy….. the shit really hit the fan now…'

As the enemy's army kept moving forward, Aqua-Lad took the charge and rallied a battalion of Atlantean soldiers and charged straight ahead, leaving the Titans in charge of defending the palace, in case H.I.V.E or Black Manta's minions manage to pass by Atlantis's defence or conversely try to mount a sneak attack and with that said and done the palace walls began to shake, a few moments later piranha looking monsters came bursting through a few of the palace's corridors and walls.

"Cy pal… tell me you've got a big ol' frying pan to cook some of this fishies…"

Cyborg gave only a smirk to Beast boy as he charged up his cannons and began shooting them down one by one.

"that could work too…"

With that Beast boy turned himself into a doberman and lunged at the creatures, biting them off at the knees arms and face, only problem was their flesh was more resilient than dry beef jerky, spitting out what little flesh he could, he transformed back to human form.

"don't eat the green ones… they're not ripe yet…"

With that Beast boy gave a sly grin at the creatures that came towards him, giving the impression that he was thinking 'go big or go home.', and go big he did, a tyrannosaurus kind of big, Cyborg witnessing it had no choice but to comment.

"really isn't that kind of overkill…?"

Beast boy in T-Rex form couldn't care less or response, being to busy biting the creatures limbs off or swiping them aside with his tail, occasionally letting out a mighty roar with the intent to intimidate.

With Night-wing and Starfire.

Night-wing witnessing the fight happening down a few floors below couldn't help but make a silent thought in his head audible.

"i hope Atlantians are covered by insurance….."

Punching a few more of those creatures, Starfire swooped in for an assist.

"forgive me for sounding ignorant…. I was under the impression that we were the insurance…"

Night-wing slightly chuckled as he was busy fending off some more of the creatures now storming the palace before replying with his dry wit.

"that's not the insurance I was talking about but if you insist… you're forgiven….."

Before any more banter between Starfire and Night-wing could continue Beast boy with his sharp eyesight has spotted a Black Manta submarine heading to their general facility from the lower floor.

"hit the deck…."

As soon as he said that everyone took cover as Raven phased out with the pilots manning the sub before said submarine crashed through the palace wall and came to a screeching halt creating a small crater in the middle of the floor, Night-wing wasting no time just asked straight away.

"what's the situation outside…"

Raven now making sure that the survivors don't escape just replied.

"well by the submarine crashing earlier, some backup would be more than welcomed…"

Before anyone could say another word Beast boy transformed into a Cheetah and bolted out of the door, surprising everyone, after a few moments of awkward silence and puzzlement Cyborg decided to speak up.

"well I'm glad a chain of command has it's relevancy… with your permission Starfire I'm gonna get him back…."

With that Starfire nodded as he took off after the little brother he never knew he asked for.

Outside the palace, with the remaining Titans.

As Kid Flash, Wonder Girl and Terra fought off the invading armies that snuck away during the chaos to infiltrate the palace, they got an eyeful of Beast boy charging in as a Cheetah clawing enemies left and right as he made his way to the centre of the battle ground, just about as he was about to hit the open sea he transformed himself from a Cheetah into what dinosaurs experts would call a Mosasaurus, after a few moments of utter shock Kid Flash found his voice.

"did you know he could do that…..?, I didn't know he could do that….?"

Instead of anyone returning Kid Flash's comment with an answer, Wonder Girl was blind sided by some more of Black Manta's goons while Terra located a H.I.V.E operative with a scuba gear, knocking him out and stealing his gear to go after Beast boy, muttering to herself as usual.

"for a guy who added a few thousand tons…. little fucker moves fast….."

As she made it closer and closer to the war zone she quickly realized two things, one, she was going to use up all of the oxygen in her mask before making it halfway across to the submarines and two, she would have to find H.I.V.E's commanding submarine to end this bullshit quick.

With a quick motion Terra began swimming dodging projectiles left and right before reaching a safe zone for her to manipulate the earth at the bottom of the ocean to create a 'wave' to carry her the rest of the way, now she had to figure out which of the submarines held the fleet commander.

'think… how can I approach it… screw it, bigger is always better…'

With that she quickly found the biggest submarine she could see and charted her course straight to it, with Beast boy trailing right behind her as an hammerhead shark, noticing it Terra immediately took advantage, contacting him using a special communicator for this specific mission.

"hey Gar sweetie…. you see that big submarine over there… be a babe and ram into it as hard as you can… I have a plan to end this war…"

Beast boy said nothing he just gave a small nod and did what he was told, Terra in the meantime followed close behind him.

Beast boy and Terra were fast approaching the submarine and with a few rams against it Beast boy made a small dent in it's armor so Terra could manipulate the earth around her to make a bigger hole letting them pass through with relative ease. As soon as both teens got on board an automated sealing mechanism has sprung so the submarine wouldn't sink, Beast boy in the meantime reverted back to human form.

"got any aspirin on you by any chance?…."

Before she could've retort to that statement both teens were surrounded by H.I.V.E operatives ready to kill them at a moment's notice.

"well I don't think that headache of yours would go away anytime soon"

Carefully surveying the area while at the same time getting closer to Beast boy Terra started to whisper.

"listen closely, when I give you a signal you cover your eyes and ears… those fools carry flash-bang grenades… you get where I'm going with this…?"

Beast boy gave a small but subtle nod which gave Terra the good to go sign to go ahead with her plan, which in turn was fairly simple, she tackled the operative close to her, grabbed his grenades and started throwing them all around and while the explosions started she made another break for it trying to find the command centre.

In the command centre itself a mysterious figure with the rest of what remained of the crew were watching the proceeding battle on close circuit TV.

"madame shall I dispatch a crew to detain the intruder…?"

Said mysterious figure just gave a nod of disapproval stating.

"let her pass… this one in particular fascinates me…."

Back with Terra, said blonde was now searching the submarine high and low for the command centre muttering to herself.

"stupid idiots…. no one heard about directions or even a map or blueprint of the sub to indicate where everything is?…."

With that out of the way Terra kept on searching and scouring regardless.

About 10 to 15 minutes have passed and Terra found the command centre with her first thought being 'about bloody time too'. walking into the room itself she witnessed quite a few low level H.I.V.E operatives manning the controls and computer stations paying absolutely no mind to her as she approached what appeared to be a high tech throne being occupied by a feminine silhouette, with only her right arm being completely visible sporting an elbow length glove with beehive patterns on it.

"I'll spare you the lengthy introductions… I'm what you can refer to as a queen bee to my many drones…. and though I find you somewhat fascinating, state your business quickly or I'll give the order to execute you…."

Terra didn't miss a beat to make a sarcastic jab.

"forgive me for not doing a curtsy your majesty… now as to why am I here…. you want Death-Stroke out of your hair and I can do that for you…."

A few moments of deathly silence passed before the next reply came.

"why would I hire you when my organization can handle it by itself…?"

"I'm efficient…." Terra replied cockily which in turn made the mysterious figure laugh for a few moments before continuing the conversation.

"name your price…."

Now at this point Terra/Tara took her time before finally answering.

"you want the Titans dead… I have a better proposition, execute the human ones of the team while the super powered ones will be sold for slavery, do that for me and you got one good as dead mercenary in your laps….."

Intrigued and a little skeptical the mysterious figure found it appropriate to ask.

"what's your endgame?… or better yet why should I trust your word?…"

Terra/Tara answered without batting an eyelash.

"all I want to do is retire and to be left the hell alone…"

From behind her chair the mysterious woman let out an audible chuckle before further questioning her 'guest'.

"and what will happen if either I refuse your request or you won't get your wish?….."

For a moment it got really quiet while Terra/Tara approached from the woman's left side, never making eye contact at all.

"first that was not a request, second, I always get what I want… by force if necessary… so are we in accord?"

After Terra/Tara posed the question she noticed in the corner of her eye the affirmative nod the mysterious woman gave, satisfied she turned around towards the exit before stopping abruptly.

"you should retreat…. you're loosing badly and I'd hate for our arrangement to end abruptly before either of us gets what we want…"

With that Terra continued retracing her steps towards the exit.

Back with Beast boy.

Beast boy was currently panting uncontrollably after kicking the crap out of a few enemy operatives which most of them either wound up unconcious on the floor or made a hasty retreat, or so he thought, it appears that an enemy operative found a good vantage point to shoot him from a distance, loading and cocking his assault rifle the operative slowly and steadily took aim at the green teen but before he could open fire he felt a swift kick to his face which took the air right out of him, a fact that now Beast boy was acutely aware of.

"you've missed one….."

Beast boy finding Terra again just warmly smiled at her.

"aw so you do care about me…."

Terra rolling her eyes at this comment has chosen to rejoin him instead of reacting to his sense of 'humor'.

A few moments have passed as Terra and Beast boy were now searching for escape pods on the sub itself.

"say do you think there are even escape pods on this tub?…"

Terra rolled her eyes at the question.

"of course there is… otherwise this whole vessel might as well be one fancy cigar casing…."

Beast boy at this point as opted to respond with sarcasm.

"oh sure…. what would be an alternative escape route in your book…..?, shooting ourselves out of the torpedo hatch?…."

Beast boy having caught how he was starting to act, was now trying his best to apologize but to his surprise Terra's/Tara's reaction was of a genuine laugh.

"let's try and catch a cab instead Evel Knievel…."

At that very moment shots were being fired from outside which made the haul of the submarine to rupture, however as soon as water started filling in the interior, an Atlantean vessel has parked itself near Beast boy and Terra, a second later the windshield opened to reveal Cyborg.

"anyone needs a ride…?"

Both Terra and Beast boy didn't say a thing, instead they quickly boarded the vessel as the vehicle itself made it's return home.

Back at Titan's tower, near the front entrance overlooking the sea and the city.

Beast boy and Terra decided after the little sea adventure they had to mark an official date for an actual romantic date, when they both tried to settle for the venue Beast boy chimed in.

"Terra, make me a small promise?"…. Terra nodded a yes as he continued.

"no water parks for a while okay…?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The veteran.

' I believed in america….. I believed in it wholeheartedly that I knowingly lied about my age just so that I could enlist early…. nowadays though, well it's become a shit show you'd have to witness to believe it…..'

Slade Joseph Wilson also known to select others as Death-Stroke the terminator was currently busy waiting in line at Jump City's grand national bank reviewing his current finances as he slowly but steadily started to pick up the faint sounds of tires screeching, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself he pretended like he was bored out of his skull, which to be fair given the setting wasn't all that difficult to do.

"is everything alright old timer?… you look a little tense…"

Slade/Death-Stroke faced the man who asked the question, which in turn happened to be a young security guard, probably a discharged soldier by his posture and his bad side manner, which in turn he replied in the same manner.

"thank you, it's just old war wounds acting up… and it's lieutenant colonel to you private…"

Feeling a little ashamed of himself the security guard gave a small salute and continued on his route.

After a few more minutes passed by it seemed like the line to the bank tellers was getting longer rather than shorter, however that didn't bother Slade one bit, what bothered him however was that the screeching sounds from before came back now intensified tenfold which culminated in a modified sedan ramming through the front doors to the bank setting off the alarms and sending both customers and security guards into a panicked frenzy, that is one of the assailants discharged an MP-5 he was carrying into the security guards present, that in turn sent the now hostages into a silent state, Slade never loosing his cool for one second couldn't help but think.

'great….. amateur hour in it's finest…'

"in case you haven't guessed by now this is a robbery… play your part….. we leave the way we came… play the hero, you get a bullet…. any questions…?"

With that statement made clear everyone including Slade Wilson dropped to the floor with no resistance or hostility being present, at least for now if Slade/Death-stroke had anything to say about it, at this point a random citizen and hostage spotted that look of determination in Slade's good eye.

"hey buddy… I know that look, and I'm telling you right now forget it…"

Amused since he's not used to meet sharp people on a daily basis Slade simply replied.

"do I look like I'm doing something stupid…?, now relax before you catch a bullet or a heart attack…. I'm watching the robbers closely, waiting for an opportune moment to land a counter strike…."

Sensing that the badass with the glass eye wasn't full of shit the citizen decided to shut his mouth while two of the robbers made their way further and upwards towards the manager's office while the third one, the one with the MP-5, was left behind on 'crowd control', doing a 180 degree turn every 2 minutes cycle on the clock, while in a few moments flat gunfire was heard from the other side of the bank.

'turn around… got to time it just right….'

As soon as the robber's back was facing the hostages, Slade/Death-Stroke made a dash towards the crook, said crook had no time to react as Death-stroke managed to trap him in a headlock and with swift movement he broke the robber's neck without a single shot being fired from the MP-5, Death-Stroke acting like it was a walk in the park ignored the hostages now gasping in horror and slight relief as he checked the gun's magazine, having seen the result he started muttering.

"four bullets….. just great, I landed on a happy trigger idiot…"

Checking the body to see if there was a spare clip, Death-Stroke sighed in disappointment, thinking to himself while heading towards the manager's office.

'fucking amateur hour…. I hate it when I'm right…..'

As he made further and further into the bank's offices searching for the other two he finally picked up with his heightened hearing the sirens of the police cars.

"better late than never…."

As Slade moved further towards the safety deposit boxes and the bank's vault he came a cross a few more dead security guards, checking their bodies he found no actual useful weapons, only a taser and a nightstick which prompted him to exclaim.

"Christ…. you've got to be kidding me…"

So having no other choice he moved on following the body trail until he got to the current one he was staring down at, it was the young soldier he met briefly from before, stricken with remorse for the fellow soldier he closed his eyes, laying him down to rest before checking his person coming across a service revolver, checking the drum, Slade/Death-Stroke found a couple of bullets left still waiting to be fired, giving a small salute Death-Stroke continued on towards the vault's compound.

The bank's vault compound, a few moments later.

Arriving to his destination, Slade/Death-Stroke surveyed his surroundings taking a mental note of two clear facts.

'those jokers did not notice me so far…. and more importantly….. their backs are facing towards me while engaging another security guard in a stalemate, conclusion… the best way to approach this is execution style….'

Having set on a plan, Death-Stroke quickly drawn the MP-5 in his right hand and the service revolver on the left, dual wielding them he charged at the robbers, taking out the closer one with three rounds to the upper back and the last one to the back of the head for good measure, he quickly set his sights on the second one who in turn turned to face his would be killer, only for Death-Stroke to put a bullet to the throat and a second one right between the eyes.

'mental reminder… make sure my left arm trained as much as my right…'

Checking on the security guard guarding the vault, Slade inquired.

"any wounded on the battle field…..?"

The guard in turn was in shock as to how a stalemate could be resolved by a matter of mere seconds and by a civilian non the less so he took a moment to calm down before answering the man who saved him.

"how can I….. we ever repay you…..?"

Slade/Death-Stroke took his time with answering the question, eventually settling on the following.

"at this very moment you don't owe me anything…. but when the time comes be sure I'll collect on that debt….."

A little while later, one of Death-Strokes low-key safe houses..

When Slade Wilson returned back to his current hideout he immediately stripped off all of his clothes and hit the shower for a good 20 minutes before coming out wrapped with a towel around his waist, feeling refreshed and relaxed, he decided to break a little sweat, doing pull ups, push ups and weight lifting, 10 sets of 10's, it took him a short while until he was finished with his exercises until he started wiping off the sweat from his body, he was about to discard the towel on the floor next to the bathroom but at this moment he picked up faint sounds of music, to be more precise it was Smuggler's Blues by Glenn Frey coming in from the kitchen's radio set.

Leaving the towel on he smirked to himself as he exited the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen, coming across with his uninvited guest, a petite young woman with a well defined muscle tone and platinum blonde hair, with eyes matching his left good one.

"you never write and you never call… with all the money we poured into your education I will sure convince your mother to demand a refund…."

The woman in front of him just stood silent for a moment before standing in attention, saluting him.

"sir, with all due respect…. if you ever try to make contact with your ex-wife again, she will probably shoot your left eye again just to make it symmetrical…."

Easing up he signaled the young lady to shift into at ease stance before replying the following.

"i wouldn't expect anything else from Adeline Rose….."

Before the situation could develop any further, rose just bluntly pointed out.

"I'll wait until you make yourself decent first…. can't have my old man catching a cold…."

Slade/Death-Stroke allowed himself for a moment a small but still unnoticeable genuine smile while he headed towards the bedroom to get a change of clothes.

"you know, grandma would've taken a liking to you in an instant…"

Confused by the sudden show of sentiment from her father Rose quickly asked.

"would've…?"

About 2-3 minutes passed by and Slade came out decent telling her.

"that's the family's legacy…. parents falling out of touch with their children… speaking off I have a small assignment that you can help me with…"

Attentively but cautiously Rose beckoned her father to continue.

"i had a protege….. only this protege isn't acting like one because she's no longer reporting back to me and worse still she clearly doesn't respect the chain of command we've established… I want you to follow her and make sure she doesn't get any foolish ideas into her pretty little head…."

Feeling a little curious Rose raised the question.

"that doesn't sound like you sir… you despise insubordination, so why haven't you terminated her yet….?"

Slade/Death-Stroke at this point would've dismissed this question as irrelevant but since he's dealing with a family member, more importantly his daughter, he obliged with an answer.

" normally I would… however she is a valuable key for getting justice and much needed closure to the passing of your eldest brother Grant… will you accept this mission?"

Rose Wilson at this point didn't need anymore details so she simply responded with.

"how does she look like and where can I find her…?"

With that Slade/Death-Stroke gave a small grin in triumph before handing a small picture he kept of Tara Markov.

Early noon, a quiet restaurant by the beach, Jump City.

Beast boy and Terra or Rather Garfield M. Logan and Tara Markov have made good on their promise from a few weeks ago and were now enjoying a quiet little date at a local restaurant/cafe, with Beast boy surprisingly eating next to nothing except a light scrambled omelette with a few pieces of bread as an appetizer with a glass of refreshing coke, while Tara was enjoying a juicy stake with salad dressing on the side, though the scenery and location would offer a relaxing setting and atmosphere, the quiet between the two could easily be read as tension, mostly prominent with Gar as he was such in deep thoughts he at some point just had to voice them.

"say… do you ever think about your parents…?"

That question came out of nowhere for Tara but since she deemed those kind of questions relatively harmless, she replied in her usual blunt way.

"no…. they're a couple of assholes… so I can;t care less about them, why do you ask…?"

Growing quiet for a few moments Gar felt very self aware and with a hint of disappointment in his voice he answered.

"i just can't shake the feeling that… if my parents were here to see me, they'd been extremely disappointed in me."

Confused by his somber tone Tara chose to show it with cynicism.

"oh sure dating a pretty blonde with striking blue eyes, very disappointing….."

Smiling a little at her response he simply leaned over to her side and gave her a small kiss on her cheek.

"that's not what I meant dear."

Fighting a small blush on her face, she tried composing herself before responding.

"well….. whatever did you mean darling…..?"

"well lately… I can't stop but wondering… am I a good enough hero to everyone…?"

After the question was posed Gar waited for a while for a reaction from Tara, sympathy, maybe an advice or a life lesson of sorts, however he did not expect the reaction that followed, instead of support he was met with mockery as Tara cracked up and loudly laughed in his face, with a torrent of strong emotions welling up inside of him, confusion and anger being the dominant ones, he bottled those emotions the best he could and simply asked.

"why are you laughing…..?, did I make a joke right now…..?"

Composing herself to the best of her ability Tara offered a reply.

"yes… you see… ever since we met all those years ago….. I've noticed something even you didn't… and you probably never will…"

Confused and taken aback more than ever he patiently waited for her to continue, fighting every urge not to run away or cause a scene.

"you see Gar…. you and me…. we're not heroes, we're survivors….. and it's time you wake up to that reality…"

More confused now than he ever was Tara wasted no chance with letting him come up with a counter.

"you see….. you're deluding yourself into thinking you're a hero, but heroes… real heroes sacrifice anything to the people who count on them….. you hide in a silly leotard of a costume or a stupid ring doing cheap party tricks…"

Gar/Beast boy finally found his voice once again.

"that's not true… why are you being mean to me all of a sudden…."

Tara in a gesture of comfort took his hands into hers and answered with sincerity.

"i'm not being mean to you, my silly and lovely boy… you know it's all true….. think about it…"

Confused and mostly baffled Tara chose to put an end to this silly little scenario by giving him an example.

"think about your parents….. why did they give their lives when they dropped over that waterfall… they wanted you to survive… which means you're a survivor….."

Gar/Beast boy couldn't believe what he was hearing, he believed she was going to be the last one to use his parents against him in such a manner, on the verge of tears he clenched his fists really hard, almost to the point of drawing blood. For a moment he was tempted to lash out at her both physically and verbally, however he stopped for two reasons, one, he truly and whole heartily fell in love with her and second, he knew if he'd lash out at her now he could never forgive himself because even with wild animals, a male does not resolve to hitting a female, so instead he wordlessly left the table not caring if Tara catches up to him or not.

Confused and mostly hurt Tara began shouting after him.

"where are you going…..?…. what kind of a man are you to leave a woman with paying the bill….?"

Not sure if he was out of earshot or not, Tara hastily dug out her purse and even more hastily Slammed a few bucks on the table not even caring to count it as she was rushing to catch up to Beast boy, missing by a hair that a mysterious figure on a Triumph Bonneville was keeping a close tabs on them, said mysterious biker raised the visor of the helmet to make a better eye contact, doing so the figure caught Beast boy mid transformation into an animal shape as Tara manipulated the sand near by to carry her home as well, making the biker to mutter something before revving the motorcycle to catch up.

"oldest trick in the book…"

Following the two around town for a while the mysterious figure eventually wound up just a few miles away from Titans tower, so the figure broke off the tail on Beast boy and Terra and went scouting for a decent stakeout post, after a while of what seemed like pointless riding on the Triumph, the figure spotted a vacant room at a nearby hotel which had a perfect vantage point towards the tower.

Parking the motorcycle, the figure got rid of the helmet, gloves and motorcycle jacket to reveal itself as Rose Wilson, now wearing cheque and form fitting streets clothes and the following items she carried on her cycle, a backpack and a small purse.

Looking around for a bit Rose exclaimed.

"if it wasn't for my mission I would definitely move in to this city."

Inside the hotel, top floor, room #154911.

As soon as Rose got into the room she made sure to make herself comfortable first by checking the fridge and mini bar for refreshments and snacks. Having done that she quickly rummaged through her backpack in search of two items, one's a state of the art binoculars equipped with the following feature, a camera with the capability to record and capture images, and the second item being a modest looking yet fully updated laptop.

Setting up quickly in an ideal vantage point Rose quickly logged into a secure server and email address, sending hourly updates as well as hourly texts to her dear old man.

With Death-Stroke, a secluded alley, the other side of town.

At this point and time Death-Stroke was waiting in an associate to strike a deal with concerning his future endeavors. Waiting for a while another person made his entrance, that person being the pint sized with the over inflated opinion of himself known as Micron O'genius, infamously known as Gizmo.

"let me guess….. couldn't reach the gas pedal….." Death-Stroke quipped referring to Gizmo's height, knowing full well it will set the short tempered bastard off.

"yet here you are…. depending on me you yin and yang bastard, now get to the fucking point already…. I hate being exposed out in the open doing this cloack and dagger crap…."

Unphased by the Teen's fowled mouthed demeanor Death-stroke simply replied with.

"you got those custom charges I asked for…?"

Glad he didn't need to stand another minute on formality Gizmo shot back.

"of fucking course what do you take me for… although strictly out of curiosity I'd ask why you'd ask for those specific charges when I could've hooked you up with far more destructive weapons…. but then again, what do I know….. you're the costumer, I'm just the schmuck getting payed here…"

Catching quickly the direction the super villain was heading Death-Stroke quickly cut him off.

"you'll be paid once I see the result of your work at first hand… unless you don't care about leaving here in one piece…"

Gizmo at this point was about ready to crap his shorts out of shear fear, so to save as much face as he could he opted to just bolt the scene as quickly as possible, however something or rather someone was currently stopping him.

"hold it little fella, you forgot the instructions on this little masterpiece of yours….."

Still stricken with a little bit of fear Gizmo wasted no time giving an answer.

"actually you don't need a manual… it works like a classic landmine, just add pressure… oh just a little bit of advice, free of charge….. those mines I gave you are linked, meaning you set one off, you set them all off…"

Giving him a clear signal that Death-Stroke took the advice under consideration, he let go of Gizmo, said self proclaimed genius used one of many gadgets on his backpack to flee the area as quickly as humanly possible not caring in which direction he took off in, satisfied with the proceedings Death-Stroke went his own way as well, heading down a couple of blocks due north until he reached the current car he was driving in, a navy blue 1954 Ford Crest-line Victoria.

Opening the trunk of the car he set the new purchase carefully next to a neatly folded janitor outfit and a few light-weight pistols, mostly Colts 45 and 9mm Barettas, closing the trunk he made his way to the driver's seat and set out towards his destination, but not before checking in with his daughter on how her mission is panning out, setting an earpiece on he made the call.

"report."

On the other line with rose:

"nothing much to report except a spat between our 'favorite' love birds Terra and Beast…. correction… Terra's on the move…. looks like she's heading downtown… should I follow her…..?"

Death-Stroke pondered on his answer for a bit before replying.

"negative…. I have a pretty good idea where she's heading….. maintain surveillance on the Titans, I need a measurement on their response time….. is that understood…..?"

"yes sir."

With that Death-Stroke set out to his target destination, an office building in Jump City's business district, on the surface it was no different than any office building, same goes for the business men and women there conducting their life's as ordinary people, so ordinary in fact that those people might as well be faceless, to him what was important was identifying a certain detail about them, who wore cuff-links in the shape of a beehive and take them out permanently.

At the rate of his driving, adjusting to traffic, Death-Stroke/Slade Wilson arrived to said building around early evening, just in time for the janitor's shift to start, quickly getting into disguise he easily infiltrated the building, made positive ID on his targets and planted the charges with no one being the wiser to him being there.

The next day, Jump City Shopping Centre, with Cyborg and Sarah Simms.

Cyborg/Vic Stone and Sarah Simms were enjoying a quiet day together at the mall, that entailed no Titans and no school children, they were leisurely strolling with Sarah enjoying the company and Vic as hard as he tried couldn't escape a creeping thought, a fact that didn't escape Sarah.

"Vic…."

No response, so Sarah tried again.

"Vic….. I'm gonna go commando in about a minute or two…."

Still Vic was deep in thought.

"Vic… I'm having your child…."

Vic finally snapped out of his funk.

"sorry baby…. something happened back home that I can't shake off….."

Sarah gave him a comforting hug while asking.

"wanna talk about it….?"

Vic just sighed.

"nothing to talk about really…. Tara spewed some really nasty bullshit, and now my bro Gar is seriously upset, and I can't think of anything to cheer him up….."

Sarah weighed in Vic's words before offering the following advice.

"i may not know Gar as well as you do, but….. I believe he's smart enough to not take anything to heart from just whoever said it, even his own girlfriend…. besides you do plenty enough as it is, so just as he knows you backing him up is more than plenty."

Unable to stop himself from smiling Vic gave a good hug and a squeeze to Sarah.

"what did I do to deserve you….?"

Sarah jabbing in affectionately replied the following.

"not sure, but you better keep doing it before I get away…"

With both of them laughing they agreed after a few moment to hang out a bit at the local music store, heading that direction Vic began wondering about something which caught Sarah's attention.

"well baby, I was just thinking about possible names for our future kid…"

Hearing that Sarah gave a playful jab to Vic's side, silently saying.

'oh….. so you were listening all along…'

Vic gave an innocent smile as they approached the music store, only for Vic to find a certain vertically challenged teen boy exiting the front of the store, the boy catching Vic's stare as well was wondering why he looked at him funny, only for said teen to finally catch on.

"oh…. you've got to be shitting me…. out of the million niggers in this world I had to run into you…."

Vic un-phased by the situation spoke plainly to Sarah.

"wait here please…."

Now said teen midget now gave a terrified pale face silently cursing himself over his big mouth.

'oh shit.'

Vic only wore a grin on his face when he lifted the petite fouled mouthed teen of the ground.

"put me down you fucking asshole… this is harassment… police, help police…."

Vic/Cyborg was not impressed.

"cool your jets little man… you know what will happen if the police catches yo ass….. now what a fine upstanding individual like you doing in a place like this…."

Ticked off Gizmo retorted back with as much venom as he could.

"not that any of this is your concern jackass, but it so happens that I shop here when I get nervous….."

Vic/Cyborg lowered Gizmo down but still didn't let go, in fact he put extra strength to his grip.

"now was that so hard…?, though I wonder… what gets a guy like you so nervous about….?"

Gizmo was quick on the take.

"no can't tell you sorry…. professional courtesy and all… you understand how it goes…."

Before Gizmo could say anything else Vic/Cyborg yanked him hard.

"listen here, you see the beautiful girl behind me… that's my date… now I'd like to go back to my date… so either tell me what you know or I'll park my foot in your ass…"

Gizmo didn't say anything at first, he just took a small glance at the girl Vic was with before asking.

"how the fuck she ended up with you…?"

Vic/cyborg gave Gizmo a pointed look which could only be returned with an apologetic/graveling one.

"right as I was saying, I can't go into too many specifics…. but let's just say my latest client gives a whole new meaning to the term 'evil eye'…"

Slowly realizing who Gizmo was talking about, Cyborg gave one final yank and a shake startling the brat.

"watch the suit…. threads like that aren't cheap you know…"

Cyborg ignored that attempt at humor and kept interrogating.

"since we're such pals, you don't mind telling me what was your clients order…. do you…?"

Gulping Gizmo took a deep breath before answering.

"look what he asked for was custom made explosives, what for I don't know… he wasn't in a sharing mood I swear…"

Vic/Cyborg sighed knowing that that's all he's gonna get from the irritable midget, promptly letting him go, said midget ran away as fast as his legs would take him, Vic on his part returned to Sarah with disappointment filled eyes.

"listen baby… I gotta…"

But before he could even finish, she shushed him with her fingers.

"i know… and I'm already thinking on how you will repay me back"

Giving him a small kiss on his cheek Sarah Simms walked away while Cyborg dug out his communicator.

"Cyborg to Titan's tower, I got some news you'd want to hear….. does anyone acknowledge over….?"

"loud and clear" came Night-wing's, Starfire's and Wonder Girl's voices.

Back at Titan's tower the three present hung on Cyborg's every word as he recalled the conversation he had with Gizmo, once the debriefing was over Night-wing heard the doors to Titan's ops room closing, turning around he was met with Beast boy.

"great timing….. we have a mission for you with your name all over it….."

Before Night-wing could continue Beast boy continued for him.

"let me guess…. you want me to find Terra and make sure she's safe till you all get her…right?"

Night-wing not all that surprised continued the exchange between themselves.

"partly….. we want you to find Terra because Death-Stroke is up to something none of us know…"

Nodding Beast boy took off before replying.

"don't worry I got a few ideas on where she's heading."

Jump City's downtown area, half an hour later….

Beast boy was currently flying above as a hawk trying to find Terra as he headed to the once night club known as Avaddone, only to witness now that it was largely being rebuild as a new establishment, a few yards away he found Terra/Tara hanging around the construction area, making an approach and landing next to her he morphed back to his human self.

"Terra…."

Before he could've said anything else Terra/Tara lunged at him like a crazed animal only to start kissing him like an animal in heat, grinning like a fool Beast boy/Gar could only reply with.

"well…. this is my kind of hello…."

Terra/Tara only smirked at him although she was actually silently asking.

'is there a point of you being here….?'

Beast boy only gave a small yet dopey expression signaling that Terra/Tara potentially is ruining a beautiful moment, then again he reminded himself that he's on a mission himself and just let a small sigh.

"Death-Stroke is rearing his ugly face once again….. and the Titans want to know who might be his potential targets this time."

Terra/Tara after hearing that slowly hatched a scheme in her head.

"gee Gar… I would love to help but…."

Before her plan could go any further both teens witnessed and felt a medium sized tremor destroying a building, or at least a part of it, a couple of miles away from their current location prompting Terra to exclaim.

"far for me to state the obvious but earthquakes are not part of the tourists attractions of this city."

Agreeing with her sentiment, Beast boy contacted the rest of the Titans only to learn that they had their eyes pealed for the worst case scenario, with that in mind Beast boy quickly turned himself into a Cheetah and gestured Terra to climb on board, after securing herself in a comfortable enough of a position for the two of them, Beast boy started running as fast as his current form could take them.

Downtown Jump, the wreckage site.

Death-Stroke in full gear and costume plowed ahead towards the wrecked building while a mob of survivors came running hysterically towards him, emotionless he just stated.

"good keep the Titan's busy while I make kill confirmations."

Heading towards the emergency stair case he instinctively went for his pistols and machine gun before reminding himself.

'better use grenades…after all she doesn't use guns…..'

In the instant Death-Stroke reaches the stair case he can hear the Titans occupying themselves with crowd control.

As the Titans arrived at the crisis scene Starfire without wasting a single moment gave the rest of the Titans precise assignments.

"Cyborg, evacuate the current casualties to the nearest hospital, priority to those in a life threatening condition, Raven will heal those with minor injuries while Wonder Girl, Night-wing and myself will make efforts to locate and rescue any civilian unfortunate enough to be caught under the debris."

All Titans present understood and went about to work just as Beast boy and Terra made their arrival.

"it is wonderful the two of you to grace us with your presence, now Terra you should help us by removing as many obstacles as you can aiding the rescue efforts while Beast boy shall rescue any survivors from inside this establishment before Death-Stroke could get to them."

Beast boy gulped a bit before nervously asking.

"not that I'm afraid or scared to death or anything… but I'm going in with back up right…?"

Right after Beast boy uttered that sentence Kid Flash came rushing in dropping two others along with him, both of them caught their breaths after experiencing slight motion sickness, those two being the duo Hawk, also known as Hank Hall and Dove, Dawn Granger leaving Beast boy slightly in awe while Night-wing took his cue to get everyone back into focus.

"introductions later, we still got people to save and a maniac to stop."

With that everyone present quickly went about their work, a few moments later when Terra could find a breather from her assignment she approached the one who was less busy of them all, Raven.

"say…. who is steroid-tip and ballerina from earlier….?"

Raven having no patience and no free time to entertain the blonde just answered her in the coldest demeanor she could muster yet.

"do I look like an encyclopedia to you?"

Terra huffed at that response muttering under her breath.

"and people say I'm rude."

Meanwhile up on the floors above Beast boy managed to maneuver over the rubble and debris towards the section of the building that got the majority of the blow back while Hawk and Dove were trailing behind, making sure they weren't walking into an ambush, and of course the ceiling wouldn't collapse on them.

Beast boy in the meantime surveyed the area as a green cat trying to determine if any of the trapped victims are still breathing or how weak were their pulses, when he discovered their 'special' cuff links making him revert back to human form.

"guys… we have a situation over here…."

Hawk being the first at the scene just asked bluntly.

"they're all dead aren't they?"

Dove arriving a few seconds later went over to the presumed bodies only to nod negatively at Hawks assessment.

"they're all H.I.V.E operatives… or at the very least affiliates…"

Thinking for a bit Hawk finally reacted a second time.

"okay….. if it was up to me I'd kill them in a heart beat… but it's not, it's up to you Beast boy."

Beast boy was a little taken aback by Hawk's bluntness but either way he allowed him to further elaborate.

"you got two choices, you either waste your energy trying to save them, hoping they won't stab you in the back, or you let them die in this hell of their own making… no matter what you choose don't show hesitation."

Before Beast boy or any other of the present Titans could react, a fourth voice came from the floor above them.

"words to live by Hawk… are you sure you're not a villain like me… or at the very least an anti hero?"

Hawk only scoffed before replying.

"hey I'm an asshole…. but I'm an asshole with set boundaries… unlike you Death-Stroke."

Death-Stroke didn't respond, he didn't bother to move from the position he was currently occupying he simply reached for on of his pouches on his utility belt took a small device, twisted it a quarter counter clockwise and threw it at the heroes feet preparing to leave until that is Hawk charged at him.

"not so fast cyclopes….."

With that Hawk Tackled Death-Stroke which in return he responded with an elbow to the back which Hawk was able to deflect easily despite his brutish appearance, with that a fist fight ensued between the two and with each blow one tried to disarm the other, Dove in the meantime took charge.

"Beast boy, don't be fooled into a false sense of ease, what Death-Stroke threw was an explosive charge…. you need to dispose of it now…"

Beast boy took no chances and immediately transformed into a hawk and with it's talons he swiftly took hold of the charge and flew as fast as he could, trying to locate a deserted place to dump it in, minimizing the damage to merely a loud noise, in the meantime Dove contacted Starfire to pick up the survivors while she joined the fight against Death-Stroke.

"too bad…. I was going to let the two of you walk away with your life…"

Hawk scoffed as he tried to hold down Death-Stroke for Dove to hit him in his vital points thus immobilize him, Death-Stroke however quickly picked up on it which made him laugh as he kneed Hawk in the stomach which then followed by a punch to Hawk's jaw.

"it could've worked…."

Before continuing he pulled a side arm and aimed it squarely at Dove, who tried and failed a sneak attack, however she charged straight on slicing the gun apart with the built in sharp feathers of her costume, which forced Death-Stroke into yet another fist fight, punching and evading punches while trying to reach his swords and knifes.

"I've been through hell and back… fighting in most of this country's messiest and dirtiest wars…. it would take a lot more than the two of you to stop me…"

Dove acknowledging what was being said replied with.

"it doesn't matter we'll stop you whether you're a soldier or a lunatic."

Death-Stroke paused for a bit before replying.

"lunatic… well that isn't far off, still I prefer survivalist."

The fight between Hawk, Dove and Death-Stroke raged on while Starfire and Kid Flash made their way to the survivors and rescued them with efficiency while acknowledging the high death toll that occurred, they paused for a brief second to wonder if they should involve themselves in the fight with Death-Stroke but the structural state the building was currently in made them make a double take and they continued the evacuation.

In the meantime Beast boy was flying up above Jump City with the explosive charge in hand quickly tried to think where to dispose of it.

' the beach…. too many people… underground…. might hit a pipe line….. high up in the sky….. might hit a passing airplane…. the ocean… Aqua-Lad will hunt me down for this….. crap, I bet Batman doesn't get into this kinds of situations.'

Feeling the pressure intensifying Beast boy settled on burying it deep in the sand far away from the city, landing on the closest beach he transformed into a gopher and started digging rapidly, once he reached about more or less 6 feet, he dumped the explosive charge in, buried it and transformed back into a hawk getting enough of a distance as he made sure the coast is clear of innocent bystanders all the while thinking.

'gee I hope I won't blow up of what remained of Jimmy Hoffa '

The following explosion that ensued kicked up a lot of sand and trash, much to Beast boy's dismay, however there were no casualties, unless you count tourists taking photos of the event while soiling themselves, with that Beast boy left the area quickly back towards the Titans.

'don't worry guys the cavalry is on the way'

Back with the Titans on ground level.

Raven was currently taking care of the new batch of survivors, noticing fully well the same thing Beast boy noticed. Still she soldiered on with the chaos surrounding her from the emergency ensuing, to her teammate's emotions and to the fight occurring up above her.

"sir… madame….. the treatment I just gave you is rudimentary at best….. please proceed to the nearest ambulance for further treatment…"

At this point Raven allowed a small breath escape her mouth as she herself could use a small rest but as she held her gaze upwards she's been brutally reminded that there is no rest for the weary, despite the stalemated battle between Death-Stroke, Hawk and Dove, the latter escaped the former with a limp left arm, as though he didn't have tendons in that arm, at this point Beast boy crash landed next to her exhausted.

"great timing for once… Hawk and Dove are in pursuit of Death-Stroke…. lend them a hand just to make sure he doesn't get away.

Catching his breath, Beast boy replied with.

"i just flew from the other side of town and…"

"boy my arms are tired…." Raven finished for him.

"if you have energy for stupid jokes quota you'll be just fine, now stop wasting time and go."

Beast boy having no desire to fight any longer with raven just gave her a silent pointed stare saying.

'party pooper '

Back with Death-Stroke.

Death-Stroke was currently on foot, evading and escaping his pursuers as he contact Rose over on his earpiece.

"Death-Stroke to Ravager… respond, I'm currently being pursued and in need of evac stat…."

Rose responded immediately.

"understood sir… please hold them off a little longer until I pinpoint your exact position….. over"

With that Death-Stroke kept on his trajectory, trying to create obstacles for the Titans.

One of those obstacles were a series of controlled explosions being triggered by grenades being placed in trash cans a few yards apart from each other, some in confined spaces, the others, close to where the homeless population were squatting in jump City, Death-Stroke was waiting a few yards away in an open area awaiting for the Titans to arrive.

With the Titans themselves, Hawk and Dove kept a good pace on Death-Stroke and where now able to spot him in the distance, meanwhile beast boy finally caught on with the pair transforming from a Falcon to a Rottweiler mid flight ready to pounce on the glass eyes criminal, Hawk however stopped him.

"hold on there showoff…. something doesn't smell right…"

Beast boy taking note of that started sniffing the air, after doing so he reverted back to his human form.

"boy you ain't kidding…. aside from the stench of piss and shit… he got the area covered with explosives…."

Right as he was done saying that, death-stroke released a remote detonator, setting off the explosions hidden mostly in the trash cans,making use of the smoke and shrapnel to make his escape,Hawk quickly ledthe others to safety as he took charge.

"Dawn….. Dove, contact Rob… Night-wing let the others know what's happened here and look for casualties…. little showoff, Beast boy you're with me, we're going after Death-Stroke."

Death-stroke himself continued on foot for a bit longer before a metallic forest green Jaguar E Type pulled over next to him with Rose Wilson behind the wheel.

"get in quick…"

Doing just that, the car sped off as Beast boy and Hawk were hot on his trail, with Beast boy gaining extra momentum, transforming into a cheetah, non pulsed Death-Stroke pulled out his side arm and started shooting at Beast boy's paws, lodging one in his right hind paw, gaining some distance Death-Stroke acknowledged his daughter.

"you did a good job soldier…. good job indeed."

Rose gave a small nod as she drove the car into the city far away from the crime scene.

Once Rose got back to Death-Stroke's safe house, she helped her father out of the car and carried him to the living room, laying him down gently.

"sir I'm going to hide away the car, once I've done that I'm contacting Wintergreen to make sure you don't require medical attention….. and then we'll discuss our future strategy going forward… now rest… that's an order soldier."

Death-Stroke took off his mask, showing a little smirk to Rose before falling a sleep, that smirk was his way of showing his pride as a dad, a sentiment as of late was rarely shown due to how long it was since he felt his paternal instincts taking over as opposed to his militaristic ones.

not going over her head Rose cherished this moment as she took out her cellphone while heading towards the Jag, contacting Wintergreen, she relayed everything that happened during the last 12 hours. Having listened to it all Wintergreen said that he will arrive 20 minutes from when the conversation will be over.

20 minutes later.

An elderly gentleman wearing an SAS uniform adorned with his medals was currently knocking at Death-Stroke's safe house and having waited exactly 10 seconds he was greeted with a salute from Rose.

"at ease Young miss Wilson, if you'd kindly let me through I'll start working right away, in the meantime that jag you parked a few blocks away, there's a few scratches that need buffering."

A little confused she gave him a questioning look before he replied back.

"my dear girl I'm British, we're trained to notice such details… not to mention that Jags are our nation's pride."

With that said Rose led him to the living room before taking her leave, Wintergreen witnessing master Wilson's state, simply sighed as he continued.

"well sir I have to command you, you've outdone yourself this time."

Death-Stroke easing up at the sight of his long time friend simply stated.

"these wounds are nothing to what we endured in Vietnam."

Wintergreen just gave hima silent sigh that said 'don't remind me'

As Death-Stroke was resting and recuperating, it was decided that Rose and Wintergreen would guard the safe house on shifts and with that a couple of days passed on by quickly and thankfully uneventfully as well. At this point in time Rose stood guard next to her father but her attention layed elsewhere, on the kind of thoughts that would kill a soldier on the battlefield, thoughts like for instance.

'is it all worth it?' or worse still 'is the commanding chief sound minded enough to relay orders?'

Without even noticing Death-Stroke opened his eyes, pulled his side arm quietly and point it to the back of Rose's head, removing the safety off.

"do you know the difference between a dead soldier to a live one?"

Calmly Rose gave an answer back.

"a split second sir."

Switching the safety on again Death-Stroke wasted not one precious second.

"mind telling me what's distracting you little girl?, I taught and trained you better than that…"

Bracing herself for an ugly argument Rose just blurted it out not caring for subtlety.

"just wondering when this mission of yours is going to end sir…. heck I don't know why the mission continues, Grant his resting an eternal rest as it is…."

Instead of the worst case scenario that Rose expected Death-Stroke/ Slade Wilson just gave a small sigh of disappointment.

"Rose, My one and only daughter, listen well because I'm only going to repeat this once… decomposing six feet under is not the same as actual rest, do you understand me?"

Rose gave a quick nod silently saying 'sir yes sir' while Death-Stroke went out of the safe house releasing wintergreen from his current post and assigning him a new mission, taking the E type into the city towards an undisclosed destination, Rose determined to make sure nothing happens to her father addressed Wintergreen.

"how fast can you arrange me a mode of transportation old man?"

In a seemingly random apartment building in Jump City, close to midnight.

Traffic at this time of night was particularly slow yet still cars were going in and out of the building's parking lot one such car was a dull gray Mercedes-Benz 500 SEC was pulling into the parking space. Out of the car came out at first glance was a seemingly ordinary business woman in her middle 50's yet she could still pass off as early 40's, the woman greeted the doorman near the entrance to the building and proceeded to the elevator towards her apartment.

Turning the keys to the apartment, she set down her belongings and made sure to lock the door securely from both the lock and latch, planning to change her clothes and relax with a fine glass of wine, she suddenly felt a chill running down her spine which was odd considering she didn't leave any windows open.

"you know you should invest in better security measures, still good help is impossible to find now a days."

With that Death-Stroke threw a couple of severed heads at the woman's feet, it was the heads of what used to be her bodyguards team, unshaken the woman simply responded.

"indeed, well perhaps that and some manners."

Death-Stroke scoffed before continuing.

"manners imply human behavior… now do you know why I'm here?"

With a dead pan voice the woman wasted no time with her reply.

"i suspect it has something to do with your late son, Grant Wilson."

Death-Stroke gave a quick nod as she continued.

"though there still something that bothers me… you tried to set us up against you apprentice Tara Markov even though you are fully aware that nothing escapes the H.I.V.E's mistress, so what was your point in this futile exercise?"

Death-Stroke's reply was the following.

"well, two points actually, first, I tried to get rid of Tara before she could stab me in the back, and second, plain old revenge against the ones who knowingly poisoned my son with the same formula which made me what I am today, but I'm guessing you already aware of it."

After silently sizing each other up for a good while the mistress finally resumed the conversation.

"not that I don't like your wonderful brooding presence but will you allow me to slip into something more comfortable?"

His silence was answer enough as she moved away from her living room towards the bedroom, about roughly 5 minutes have passed as she returned to the living room wearing a night gown covered up with a bathrobe.

"now then where were we?"

Death-Stroke wasted no time, pulling his claymore sword out of it's hilt and placing it's edge as close as humanly possible to the woman's throat.

"i know Terra made a deal with you, so allow me to do the same, I'll finish my son's contract with you, then we'll part ways and you stay away from me or my family understood?"

Seemingly undisturbed the woman gave her reply.

"as a group we employ thousands of mercenaries on a daily basis, some on an international scale, so my question boils down to this, why would we ever give you any special treatment, let alone amuse you with your 'demands'?"

Death-Stroke held his sword steadily and firmly, however his reply carried an unmistakable angry tone.

"mam I'm a soldier at this point not a mercenary."

With a clear condescending tone she silently asked him 'what's the difference?', Death-Stroke caught the gesture and replied this time with a chilling even tone.

"you're still breathing"

Removing the claymore from her throat Death-Stroke showed himself out, not bothering with the woman's reaction, which left her thinking.

'what a peculiar man…. now where was I again?… oh yes a glass of wine'

A short while has passed and Death-Stroke was currently walking away from the building as Slade Wilson.

Slade Wilson kept on walking away from the apartment building not really paying attention to any specific direction he was going, instead he kept seeing visions and memories of his eldest son playing in front of his eyes or rather eye, right up to the moment his body failed him as he collapsed dead, those kind of occurrences weren't new to Slade Wilson since that day and while though it didn't happen on a frequent basis it always left him in a state of sheer frenzy.

To cope with it he could've turned to either drugs or alcohol, however due to him being prideful of the fact that his heightened senses were the best selling point about him, he refused to turn to that on principal, instead he dealt with these episodes by finding abandoned buildings, lashing out on the interior within them, however at this point he didn't manage to advance an inch when a speeding black Porsche 928 pulled up next to him, the driver being non other than Rose Wilson.

"get in."

Slade had no intention on starting a conversation in the middle of the street or the energy to show defiance, so instead he climbed into the car as she continued driving on, after a little while she started a conversation.

"should we head back to the safe house sir?"

Slade trying to maintain his sanity replied with clear pain in his voice.

"no, find me a place away from population, I need to vent off and lash out"

Unsure how that method would benefit her father Rose suggested the following.

"i have a better idea sir, why don't you spar with someone…. someone like me for instance?"

"where that came from?" Slade asked his daughter with clear surprise on his face, Rose, not surprised gave him a straight forward answer.

"sir, I know you by reputation and by rank….. for a while now I set it as my goal to connect to you as my dad…. and if that's the way to accomplish that, then so be it."

Slade/Death-Stroke chose to say nothing, instead he gently caressed her cheek with his hand silently saying.

'no doubt about it… like father like daughter'

The drive to the safe house went mostly quiet.

Back at the safe house, 5:00 am .

When the two finally walked inside Slade Wilson laid himself on the couch trying to get some rest but not before addressing Rose one final time.

"get some rest, at noon sharp we'll begin our sparring session, dismissed"

Rose gave her father a salute, waiting for him to fall a sleep before heading to bed herself, however before she reached one of the bedrooms her dad spoke in his sleep.

"out of curiosity, what happened to the E type?"

Rose answered without giving a second thought.

"i sold it for extra cash…"

Instead of an answer Rose was greeted with soft snores from her father, cuing her she's dismissed as she entered her room, as Slade Wilson laid still on the couch he was greeted with memories of both of his sons, however, those were not pleasant memories, on the contrary those were the failures of his past coming back to haunt him like old man scrooge from Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol.

First it was his eldest son Grant or The original Ravager as he fought without restraints against the Teen Titans, unaware his body was collapsing from his insides out while Death-Stroke, helpless for once couldn't do anything about to stop it, then memories of his youngest Joseph, having his throat slashed open by a group of soldiers who came after his dad, all because he didn't separate well enough between him moonlighting as a mercenary and his civilian life, and finally the last memory that woke him out of his sleep, his now ex wife shooting him in the head after learning her youngest son has lost his voice due to his father's secrets and reckless behavior.

Grunting in acknowledgement and frustration Slade walked towards the kitchen to make himself a strong cup of coffee, since he knew it's futile to force himself into sleep, the only thing on his mind to bother him was.

'memories…. just when I get out, you pull me right back in'


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Brother Blood's blitzkrieg.

Jump city's correctional facilities, late morning.

In a particularly humid and sunny spring day an earth toned Chevrolet Monza Towne was making it's way to the visitors parking lot, the man behind the wheel was an unassuming lawyer, an ambulance chaser if you will, dressed in a sleek yet formal suit and a leather briefcase attached to his arm. As he made it inside the prison towards the visitor's wing, he was met with a security guard, who by the looks of things should consider a new line of work or early retirement.

"name?"

The lawyer quickly replied as he maintained an air of professionalism.

"Leo Rozen…. I'm here for a consultation with prisoner 257489, also known simply as Adonis."

The guard quickly scanned through the visitors list.

"right this way sir….. one thing though, you'll have to go through a security check prior to your meeting, can't be too careful nowadays"

Understandably the lawyer didn't make a fuss as he went through security, although he did hope at one point he did hope something will go wrong so he could sue for damages and personal injury, unfortunately that didn't happen.

After a few minutes of walking, he was told to wait for a bit as prison guards brought Adonis in handcuffs and chains on his feet into a room that looked like an interrogation room, after he was properly restrained, Rozen was brought in.

"good morning my name is…" however he was cut off by Adonis.

"tell me what's the color of my uniform?"

Confused a bit Rozen simply stated.

"dark red."

At that Adonis just smirked.

"do you know then what this color says about me?"

"that you belong to the super-max category, the worst of the worst" Rozen bluntly stated which made Adonis smile and laugh.

"that's very good you little Herschel, now go bother someone else you shmuck I'm not buying what you're hawking."

Weirdly enough Rozen didn't bother getting mad about the vague antisemetic tone Adonis bared, instead he just replied with an innocent tone in his voice.

"if you feel that way I understand, it's not like I was about to offer you an early shot at parole or anything…." Rozen took a pause at this point to see if Adonis was biting the bait, and as predicted it got his undivided attention so Rozen continued.

"on the off chance you do make parole, it's not like you'd have much anyway since all your bank accounts have been frozen and assets have been seized by the JCPD… I mean come on let's be honest here even if you do manage to make something out of yourself you'll be swamped with so much red tape you'll end up shitting streamers for weeks unless…"

Adonis at this point got curious enough, to let Rozen know he was interested so Rozen continued.

"unless you come work for my employer, Sebastian Blood, I think you've heard of him?"

Adonis quirked his eye brow answering with.

"that voodoo nut?…. what in the flying fuck does he need with me?"

Rozen straightening himself out, turned his back to Adonis and began walking towards the exit..

"just that we won't have a misunderstanding…. once I leave here, the offer goes with me, so….. do you accept or decline?"

Hating being pushed into a corner Adonis simply said.

"i accept"

Rozen turning his head just a little gave a shit eating grin that said.

'i knew you would'

As Rozen left he addressed Adonis one final time.

"don't concern yourself with the details, you'll be notified as soon as possible"

As the prison guards escorted the prisoner back to his cell, Rozen fished his phone out of his briefcase, contacting his employer.

An undisclosed penthouse within Jump City.

In an penthouse apartment mostly decorated with earth toned colors mixed in with palettes of blacks and reds Sebastian Blood was currently busy practicing his fencing with his trusted saber, that is a young woman came in with a phone in hand and nothing more.

"excuse me lord, you have an incoming call."

With his back turned to her, he motioned with his hand for the phone, which the woman did, once the phone reached his hand Brother Blood slashed his saber horizontally, slicing the woman's head clear off her body, the latter dropping limb after a few seconds.

"this is Brother Blood, now speak."

Having been informed by Rozen of his progress Brother Blood simply replied.

"very good, you are proving your worth, continue with the rest of the instructions I gave you."

With that he ended the conversation swiftly just as Mother Mayhem stepped into the room, addressing Brother Blood about the corpse.

"too bad about this one…. she was a fine specimen among those liberated and independent women….."

Brother Blood in a soothing yet uncaring tone retorted the following.

"i would not bother with pity towards this one my darling, they but mere statues to me to do as I see fit….. now how things are proceeding on you end?"

With that Mother Mayhem gave her report to Brother Blood as he paid attention very carefully.

After a few moments have passed another secretary working for Brother Blood contacted him with a reminder of his busy schedule for the day, Mother Mayhem took this as her cue to leave, however before that she gave a reminder of her own to her lord.

"that goes without saying but please refrain from killing this one"

Feeling quite bemused Brother Blood simply retorted with.

"you know better that I don't make such promises"

Accepting reality as it is, or to be more precise, she never cared anyway, Mother Mayhem left Blood's office while he carried on with business as usual.

Titan's tower, late noon, Beast boy's room.

Beast boy felt on edge lately starting with the countless little arguments with Tara, the fact that the Titan's alarm hasn't blared for quite awhile and now adding to that mix is the fact that Night-wing and Starfire had been preoccupying themselves with love making for most of the nights has of late which left him loosing sleep steadily.

In an attempt to re energize himself he headed towards the living room and kitchen, once he got there he came across Hank Hall and Dawn Granger having a heated make out session on the living room couch while Cyborg kept himself busy cooking in the kitchen, Beast boy feeling uncomfortable and aroused at the same time went over to Cyborg's side in the hopes his friend can provide him a distraction from the love scene being acted out on display.

"i would really love to say that I'm an expert on animals, but since when birds began to multiply like rabbits?"

Tuning him out for a little bit cyborg answered him while checking his cooking.

"don't be an asshole little buddy, everyone needs some love every once in a while… I know what why don't you search for your little lady, I bet she needs some loving from you right about now."

From the tone of his voice Beast boy knew that something was bothering Cyborg, most likely something he goofed about, taking a small taste from Cyborg's cooking Beast boy offered this advice.

"try not to pour too much salt there big man, it will kill the dish"

Beast boy knowing he overstayed his welcome began wondering off towards Tara's room, however when he got outside her door he heard her signing along Girls just wanna have fun by Cindy Lauper, way off key but without a care in the world, to that Beast boy said quietly to himself.

"better let her practice in peace, she really could use it"

Beast boy was about to leave in a leisurely pace but he heard Tara say ' I heard that' in reference to his earlier comment, so he bolted before she would chase him down with a heavy object in her hand, on his way out Beast boy wondered if he should pay a visit to Night-wing and Starfire, the mom and dad of the group.

'knowing those two late;y have been recreating their honeymoon for the past week I better not'

He knew that Wonder Girl and Kid Flash were out of town, living their own lives and helping out their respective mentors so for lack of options he was left with only Raven as the last possible choice. To say the situation between the two was uncomfortably awkward was like saying water is wet but before Beast boy could think on how to approach Raven the Titan's alarm blared into action.

"saved by the bell"

As beast boy headed into ops room, he came across Night-wing and Starfire running and/or Flying in the same direction.

"hey guys, anyone knows what's the emergency this time?"

Night-wing chose to answer with.

"does it really matter?, we'll handle it as we always handled it, as a team… oh and by the way, thanks for letting me and Star have our privacy"

Beast boy really caught off guard gave night-wing a look that said.

'how do you do that?'

Night-wing gave a smirk that said pretty much everything while he earned a small giggle of amusement from Starfire, which always loved being a witness to the earthly custom that humans called banter, particularly when it came from her trusted and beloved friends.

Entering Titan's ops room Night-wing immediately went over to the monitors to check what emergency has befallen the city this time around.

The results were not promising whatsoever, it was the Titan's arch nemesis The Fearsome Five, with the following in it's roster, Gizmo, Dr. Light, Shimmer, Mammoth and Adonis, to which Night-wing could only grimace.

'oh for the love of crap'.

"Titans listen up, The Fearsome Five are back in town ans what's worse they have split all around the city, clearly trying to divide and conquer us, now Star I'll leave the rest to you"

Grateful Starfire continued on.

"Cyborg can you provide the known whereabouts of our enemies presently?"

Cyborg already scanning for those coordinates simply gave a nod that he was already on it which in the meantime Beast boy simply asked given the timing was right.

"what about Hawk and Dove, how do they fit into all of this?"

Night-wing acknowledging the question simply stated the following.

"they're backup, in case something goes wrong."

In the meantime Terra graced everyone with her presence and her usual charm.

"well you're shit out of luck, they just left as soon as they sensed danger."

Never loosing his cool he addressed Cyborg about the locations, cyborg detailed the following.

"Shimmer and Mammoth oddly enough are attacking the Australian embassy, Gizmo is wrecking up a music joint I usually shop at, Dr. Light is holding up a bank and Adonis is reenacting the third act of King Kong and Godzilla combined"

Everyone catching up on their enemies location and deciding on who to go after, Starfire rallied everyone up by shouting.

"Titans Together…."

Splitting up every Titan went about their separate ways with Night-wing, now about to face Adonis once again couldn't help but shake a certain feeling.

'there's gotta be more to this but what?'

As the Titans left the tower and split up to take on their respective adversary, the first to arrive into battle were Terra and Beast boy, their destination, the Australian embassy, seeing Mammoth and Shimmer wreck the place up Beast boy sprung into action.

"oi relative beauty and the beast. What have you got against Aussies, some of me best mates are Aussies…"

Mammoth the usually quiet one, took notice to Beast boy and swiftly threw a potted plant his way, a big one by the way.

"none of your business little pest"

Running and evading Mammoth's attacks Beast boy couldn't help but egg him on even more.

"oh Mammoth can speak… can he read and write as well?"

Enraged by the green 'insect' before him Mammoth tried punching him and lunging at him full force, however beast boy surprised everyone, including himself, by using his opponent's weight against him, making him lose balance and fall, disorienting him in the process, without much thinking Beast boy transformed into a rhino and charged head on into Mammoth, knocking him out in the process, transforming back into human form he quipped.

"now let's see if he can find a freezer in your size"

Before he knew it Terra crashed into him making both teens lose their balance while Beast boy unwillingly became an airbag for Terra absorbing most of the hit she would have felt by the concrete.

"are you okay?" Beast boy asked Terra, Terra answered back after a few seconds,

"I'm fine but that Shimmer bitch blindsided me….. I mean with a name like that I was sure her powers were glowing in the dark…."

Without a second warning both teens dodged the best they could while a bunch of papers flew right at them, and lodging in the wall like throwing stars, Terra yelled at her after receiving a few gashes from the deadly projectiles.

"hey don't you believe in a fair fight?"

Shimmer just smirked as she answered back.

"sure if it's fair for me…"

Terra smirked back and without a warning she started shaking the place using her powers creating a mini earthquake, a bit panicked Shimmer tried to find a place to hide, however the earthquake soon stopped as she felt a piece of rubble hit the back of her head, knocking her unconscious instantly, getting back to beast boy she asked.

"are you okay Gar?"

As he got himself together he simply replied with.

"I'll be fine, what about her? Is she still alive?"

A little insulted by that question, Terra/Tara was quick to retort with a sarcastic edge.

"of course she is, she just has a bump on the head… what? You think I can't control myself?"

Beast boy knowing better than to pick a fight with Terra simply nodded a 'no' before approaching Shimmer, he checked her pulse, once finding it, he made sure to zip tie her and Mammoth before contacting the cops nearby, once everything was taken care of he addressed Terra.

"you coming or what?….. we need to help the others"

Terra acknowledged him while saying.

"you go on ahead I'll be right with you."

Nodding in an affirmitive way Beast boy transformed into a hawk and flew on ahead while Terra spoke once again.

"i know you're there Death-Stroke, what's your endgame?"

Death-Stroke from afar just answered before he vanished.

"my job….. unlike you little girl, now run along and play with your little friends"

At this Terra only muttered to herself before keeping up with Beast boy.

"gee what an asshole"

As the day raged on so were the fights, at First Dr. Light tried to attack mercilessly Starfire who in turn dodged at every turn though at times there were a few close calls, that however soon changed once Raven made her presence known,to which responded with immediate surrender, Raven not making a big deal out of it simply escorted the villain into police custody while Starfire/Kory took small amusement out of the change in outcome.

Meanwhile with Cyborg's and Gizmo's tussle, the maniacal munchkin tried pinning the cybernetic teen with every gadget he had, every bomb and other dirty trick he could muster while Cyborg just waited out for the moment Gizmo's gonna slip so in turn he could swat at him like the pesky fly he is so he could cover for Night-wing, when such moment did arrive Cyborg ran at Gizmo as fast as he could knocking him in a TKO.

Speaking of TKO"s that's what Adonis was trying to do to Robin or Night-wing as he was now known to the public, however Night-wing instead of taking the punishment like a man was constantly dodging the attacks left and right.

"so what's your new slogan this time?, 'second rate parts for second rate villains at half the price'?"

Adonis enraged by that comment spat his reply at the little asshole.

"I'll slice you in half how about that?"

Night-wing just yawned at that.

"been there done that, how about something original for once?"

With that in mind Adonis threw a nearby car at Night-wing, with no real time to dodge the projectile, Night-wing was preparing to pull off a complex acrobatic maneuver, however at this point Cyborg's white noise cannon sent a white noise beam deflecting the car's trajectory to miss Night-wing for a few inches.

"what took you so long?"

Cyborg in good spirits just retorted with.

"well I should ask the same thing… oh and you're welcome by the way"

Adonis rolled his eyes saying silently 'can we get on with it already?'

As though god himself took heed to his prayers, Adonis's wish was granted and the battle with Night-wing ans Cyborg picked up where it was left off, however the results came out the same, yet another stalemate. A while later the rest of the Titans joined the fight, Even Terra to a little extent to which Adonis only could think the following before fleeing… strategic retreating.

'to hell with this'

As he started running, he made sure to target poor residential areas just to throw the Titans, seeing that those goodie two shoes were a pain in the ass to get rid off, Adonis, now resorting to more desperate measures, started throwing inanimate objects, mostly furniture though.

"gee this guy's throwing everything at us but the kitchen's sink"

Exactly when Beast boy finished that statement, an actual kitchen sink was hurtled right next to his face curtosy of Adonis.

"i stand corrected"

A few more minutes whizzed by before Adonis spotted a glint of a reflection from the roof top of a building across from his right, at first he thought he was done for but what happened next almost floored him, the shots weren't meant for him but for the Titans, which meant he could finally get away while his enemies chew on led.

Side alleys of Jump City, a while later.

Adonis now in street attire having ditched his metalic suit was now trying to make it back to Brother Blood's residence for round two, try as he might though he still picked up a trial, this time by Death-Stroke.

"you don't talk, you don't turn around, you just shut up and listen… I saved your ass a while back so you could deliver a message to Sebastian Blood….. the Titans are mine alone to deal with, muscle in on my action again and I'll slit your throat in broad daylight."

Adonis getting pissed off to swipe at him and knock him around for good measure but before he could lay a finger on the asshole, he disappeared into thin air leaving Adonis to quietly mutter.

"the fuck was this about?"

With that lingering sentiment Adonis made his way back to Brother Blood's hideout but not before acting like a dick, wrecking a random person's boombox just for Playing Since You've Been Gone by Rainbow.

Speaking of Dick, back with the Teen Titans at Titans tower.

Night-wing returned to the tower disappointed and anxious opting to head towards ops room and immediately his room or 'office' as he dubbed it, Starfire in tow trying to ease his nerves.

"would you mind company tonight?, to tend to your wounds beloved?"

Night-wing/Richard fought his instinct seeking solitude and simply answered with this.

"sure, why not…. but I warn you darling, I'm not gonna be much of a company for the next few hours."

Starfire nodded as she escorted him anyway leaving Cyborg, Raven, Terra and Beast boy in the living room and kitchen in a confused mood.

"geez what the hell is wrong with that guy?"

Everyone gave a look of curiosity towards Terra while Raven gave an extra warning glare so Terra would tread carefully on her next few words, she however did not.

"we stopped 4 out of 5 dangerous super villains yet he still sulks like it's the end of the world or something"

Raven chose to answer the comment as followed.

"this is maybe shocking for a world class under achiever like yourself but Night-wing doesn't settle for anything than an optimal result, and 4 out of 5 for him isn't optimal for him"

Terra just shrugged replying.

"so we wait for the last of them to rear his ugly head and take him out, so Blue Bird over there has no real reason to sulk"

At this point Beast boy took notice that Raven was about to snap at Terra's callousness so he opted to escort his blunt and less then subtle on and off again girlfriend back to her room.

Night-wing's room, a few moments later.

Night-wing at this point dotted around the room with a cold and nervous sweat, Starfire, being her usual self pointed out.

"it is more than letting a villain escape is it not?"

Night-wing at this point, going all over the intell on Adonis, just replied absentmindedly.

"yes, I had to taunt him and now most likely he's trying to piece together who I really am"

At this moment Starfire squeezed Richard's/Night-wing's shoulders in a calming manner.

"listen to me,from experience any of our enemies can discover who we are… now tell me what really concerns you….."

Night-wing breathing in and out finally replied with.

"what I'm afraid of is….. no… terrified with is that I'm gonna do something rash and irresponsible to keep my secret, my friends and family safe, like silencing Adonis for good."

Listening to what he had to say Starfire offered this in return.

"i may not know this planet or its people as well as my own, however I do know this much, you are not the boy you were from before, you are a responsible, level headed man….. and a very handsome man I may add, and I trust you will find the optimal solution to this problem."

Taking a few minutes to get himself straighten out Night-wing went back to work but with a creeping thought in mind.

"by the way miss Kory'andr were you trying to seduce me right now?"

With a small but noticeable grin Starfire/Kory'andr replied.

"well I am not sure my good sir, is it by any chance working?"

At this point Night-wing/Richard hasn't said a word, he just started kissing her mouth.

Starfire/Kory'andr started smiling and giggling at her lover's sudden affectionate mood.

"now remember love, Adonis is still roaming free in the city and we must stop him"

At this point Night-wing/Richard stopped for a few moments giving her a silent stare that said 'since when did you became exactly like me?', however at this exact moment night-wing got a call on his computer monitor by none other than his mentor.

"for once I don't mind him interrupting a moment."

Adonis's hideout, an undisclosed location in Jump City

Adonis was in the midst of repairing his suit and modifying it further when a pissed/irritated Leo Rozen, just busted in the criminal's workshop, not minding is manners.

"would you tell me what in high heavens the matter with you?….. I sprang you out of prison because my client had a very specific job for you to do….. and you failed… and now by guilt of associasion, he sees me as a failure too… now if you don't do something, we'll both be dead and I don't know about you but I want to live for another good 30 years…"

Adonis putting away his tools just walked over to Rozen and grabbed him by his throat.

"Rosie, Rosie, Rosie…. you need to learn how to shut the hell up, plus it's taken care of…"

Rozen just stared at him surprised grasping for air while kicking his feet, Adonis didn't mind so he continued the conversation.

"spoke with this Blood jackass a while ago, said he'd be willing to lend me some of his worshipers to do as I please, while he makes a few phone calls"

With that he finally decided to drop the jew bastard on the floor, falling with a thud Adonis added in.

"in fact I'm so charming I'll drop by unannounced and finger his old lady while he's watching…."

Coughing and bleeding from his neck Rozen thought to himself.

'if only you knew you dumb prick… if only.'

As soon as Adonis left his 'workshop' he quickly hailed a cab, got in and drove to Brother Blood's safe haven, leaving the cabbie out of a job and penniless, once arriving to his destination he quickly started acting like he owned the place, tipping off the concierge, hitting on every woman he could lay eyes own, in some cases even more, as he went up to the higher floors towards Blood's penthouse, barging in unannounced, raiding the fridge and plopping himself on the expensive sofa, it took a while until he was joined by Mother Mayhem, her presence cold as ice.

"do you have any considerable talents other than making yourself a nuisance and otherwise an awful investment?"

Turning on his 'charm' Adonis uncomfortably closed the distance between them, almost to the point of forcing himself on her, Mother Mayhem on her part didn't so much as flinched.

"well not to brag, oh what the hell, I will…. I'm a people person with a silver tongue…. you wanna feel it?"

At this point Adonis got interrupted.

"save your pitiful attempts at seduction, Mother Mayhem has an unshakable since of loyalty and determination that served me well over the years"

Adonis not in the least bit upset over being cock blocked just smirked as he gave his reply.

"quit yacking, you've made the arrangement I requested?"

Brother Blood instead of answering him just gave him an unusually large and creepy grin, as he swooped in pulling out his saber and landing it inches away from his throat.

"your request was met good sir, now do keep in mind that I expect even better results from before…. unless you'd want to see your mind get pulled out out of your throat before you die."

Adonis at this point did nothing but laughing his ass off.

"sure thing you crazy fucking bastard…."

At that Brother Blood instructed Mother Mayhem to escort Adonis out of the premises which she obliged.

Speaking of obliged later in the day Richard recieved a call from Hank Hall, asking him if they could meet in private, having known Hank for a while Richard had no reason to refuse the invitation, not to mention that Hank was a take charge kind of guy, meaning if he actually did refuse, Hank would have gone to him punch his lights out and carry him on his back like a sack of potatoes, so it was decided that they would meet in two days time.

Two days passing by quickly, Richard/Night-wing was now waiting at Titan's tower front driveway for Hank/Hawk, not waiting long he quickly noticed a red Lamborghini Miura with white accents speeding on only to come to a sudden stop.

"should I even ask?"

Hank getting out went to hug Richard and lifting him around for a while, knowing Dick had little tolerance for that kind of greeting.

"look who it is…. the big man in campus, and to answer your question, of course not."

Sighing in mild annoyance Richard/Night-wing simply said.

"first put me down gently…. second, let's drive before I change my mind"

Hank at that gave him a funny look that silently asked 'what is there to change?'

Before both got into the car. The drive was smooth all things considered and after a few minutes the conversation resumed, initiated by Richard/Night-wing.

"haven't seen you on the battlefield for a while…. you've been keeping busy?"

Hank/Hawk acknowledged.

"yeah that's what brought me here….. I've got wind on a major attack against you guys…. and I thought you should know."

Touched and saddened at the same time Richard/Night-wing replied.

"sorry to say it pal, but we already know…."

Not wanting to waste a good day Hank just said the following.

"okay drinks on me then"

Richard/Night-wing just sadly smiled and replied.

"no can do, school night you know."

Hank/Hawk in return was gonna say something along the lines 'it doesn't hurt to offer' but before the conversation could go anywhere both guys witnessed an assault being started on a small neighborhood block just a few miles down the road from where they were heading.

Both gave a nod as Hank was in mid transformation while Richard revealed he was wearing some of his Night-wing gear underneath as Night-wing contacted the rest of the Teen Titans. At first Hawk questioned why Night-wing contacted the rest seeing that when they got to the crime scene it looked like nothing but local thugs acting like typical assholes,dispatching of them quickly, Night-wing quickly noticed the following, they were wearing red and black under civilian clothes, pointing the following.

"it's Brother Blood, and it's just the beginning"

Scoffing a little, Hawk just asked.

"aren't you being a little too dramatic right now?"

Instead of answering Hawk, Night-wing just looked to the sky for a while until he noticed the Teen Titans being led by Starfire in a completely new direction, spotting him Starfire gave a clear signal to follow him, getting the message night-wing sprang into action.

"Hawk…."

Hawk interrupted Night-wing by saying.

"already contacted Dove and sure thing Bird-Brat we're following them as of right now so get in."

Night-wing a little miffed just thought to himself.

'thanks for reminding me why I don't work with you too often'

Hawk on the other hand just gave him a smirk saying wordlessly 'I know what you're thinking now let's go'

It's been a couple weeks of none stop emergencies/ attacks caused by Brother Blood's disciples and or Adonis himself, at first it was manageable but the longer the attacks kept going the Teen Titans started to feel the fatigue kicking in, it was that insufferable that Starfire and Night-wing had to call in Wonder Girl, Aqua-lad and Kid Flash as well as ask Hawk and Dove to stay a bit longer in a back up capacity.

Meanwhile back at Brother Blood's penthouse Adonis was currently spending sleepless nights tinkering with his suit, trying to upgrade it's performance, not caring for his own health or how much noise it makes to the neighbors.

Brother Blood's penthouse, early morning.

Brother Blood was in his office taking care of paperwork when Leo Rozen entered through the door.

"morning sir. I came with a quick update, the individuals you requested me to find will arrive today afternoon and the package you requested is already waiting in the living room"

Nodding in confirmation Brother Blood dismissed Rozen as he went to check on his 'guest' Adonis, which in turn still worked and tinkered on his suit like a junky high on blow.

"keeping yourself busy I see…."

Adonis absent minded just answered.

"where's that little weasel Rozen?, I need him to run some errands"

Brother Blood allowing a vague smile on his face opted to leave the uneducated brute alone but not before replying with.

"we'll be getting some new blood into our fold, make sure you greet them properly, second there's an upgrade for your flesh and blood body, it's in the form of an injection, don't forget to take it"

Adonis mock saluted him and was now alone with his thoughtswhich at the moment focused squarely on the mechanical suit.

Titan's tower, breakfast area and living room, mid morning.

Beast boy came rushing in through alarming some of the more wound up Titans and now as a result was catching his breath, his teammates eagerly wait to hear what's got him so riled up.

"we've got…. good news…. and bad news… which would you like first?"

Raven in a cynical and tired mood just pointed out.

"the suspense is killing us… also does this really matter?"

Beast boy just stared with a dumbfounded face that said 'right' before continuing.

"well the good news is…. we won't have to deal with Adonis and Blood's zealots…. now we have to deal with them and a select few of the brotherhood of evil and a few of The Fearsome Five."

"which ones?" Night-wing and Starfire stated together. taking a small moment to enjoy the coincidence as Beast boy detailed who's Adonis's new friends were, Gizmo and Plasmus, those two needed no introduction, Psymon, a powerful telekinetic villain, and Warp, a villain who can create portals through dimensions, after Night-wing asked for further details he asked if there was a way to stop them, Beast boy replied the following.

"luckily I went against the Brotherhood a few times with The Doom Patrol, again bad news is that we barely survived"

Night-wing calmed him down stating tiredly but surely.

"this will have to do for now."

With Adonis's new crew, Downtown Jump city.

Adonis eager to get this show on the road addressed his new teammates.

"well you want to start off the show you demented toddler?"

Gizmo in return just flipped him off as he activated a few rocket launchers and a sub machine gun, firing at random people in a random pattern, and of course away from his " precious teammates"

After about a few minutes of Gizmo shooting and killing more than two dozen people, he finally had enough of being patient waiting for the Teen Titans to arrive.

"for fuck's sake where are those stupid motherfuckers?… I'm getting fucking bored already"

The rest of the criminals were tuning him out due to how high pitched was his voice, all except for Psymon who jabbed him right at the jugular.

"well yelling won't get us anywhere, besides would you concentrate on your shooting rather than shooting off your mouth?, unless of course you'd want to recreate the holocaust with your voice, then by all means go right ahead."

Adonis sensing a squabble coming pitched in immediately.

"shut the hell up the both of you's… we need to take it up a notch."

Activating his newest installments which included rocket launchers, mini-guns and grenade launchers, Adonis addressed Warp.

"how many portals can you create Frenchy?"

To say Warp wasn't pleased was an understatement.

"first of all do not call me Frenchy, it sounds like an insult coming from you, second mon ami I can only connect two places with my portals, so unless you have a specific target in mind, well as les petite asshole would say it, go and fuck yourself non."

Right then and there the entire group of villains caught sight of a red and yellow blur rushing towards them at what seemed like Mach 3 before getting all knocked down on their asses.

"sorry for being late guys, had to stop for fuel on the way, not to mention traffic was murder…. oh wait that last one was on you wasn't it?"

Getting back up Adonis just grinned.

"you think traffic was murder…..?, when I get thru with you, you'd be begging to die"

At that Kid Flash just yawned.

That yawn really pissed off Adonis, however, before he could even raise his fist, let alone throw a punch Kid Flash started running again, giving the villains a bad case of motion sickness and to top it all off Wonder Girl, Aqua-Lad, Hawk and Dove have also joined in the fight, pinning the villains down the best they could while the rest of the Titans swooped in to see if there were any survivors left.

"Raven begin treatment on Gizmo's victims, Beast boy guard her with your life, Night-wing you shall assist me in luring those scoundrels into a trap, Terra and Cyborg, provide assistance to our comrades… Titans go"

As everyone went off to do that part Terra had to bitch and moan in Cyborg's ear.

"oh great, what the fuck does warrior princess expects us to do, the rest of the reserves got the bad guys pinned down there's…"

Before she could finish that sentence she saw Plasmus, Warp and Adonis managing to break through, while Cyborg gave her a silent stare that practically scream, 'you were saying?'

"yo Night-wing, Starfire, we've got stragglers heading your way"

Night-wing and Starfire both acknowledging have decided that they should split up with Starfire going up against Plasmus and Night-wing will fight head on against Adonis, Leaving Warp for Cyborg and Terra.

With each one taking on their opponent, Night-wing and Adonis clashed.

"alone at last"

Night-wing replied with humor laced in his mouth.

"that's sweet but you're not my type"

Enraged by the deadlock and the joke on his expense Adonis activated his flamethrowers from point blank, causing Night-wing to disengage with him narrowly escaping the blast, with Adonis getting ready to attack once more.

"any last words?"

Night-wing didn't answer, he just silently goaded him while trying to predict what he would do next.

It didn't disappoint, Adonis was as clever as he was unpredictable yet due to the fatigue the Teen Titans were feeling it was twice as hard to apprehend the Villains, even when the police came backing them up, meanwhile admits the chaos a black Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse Stretched Limousine was pulling over a good 300 yards away from the crime scene, riding that limo were Leo Rozen, Mother Mayhem and Brother Blood, the latter distinctly holding a remote control trigger in his hand, biding is time until eventually flipping the switch.

At this point in the fight most of the villains were already apprehended, except for Adonis who exhibited inhuman strength and Stamina that required all of the Titans in order to deal with him, however after a few moments of pause Adonis started feeling sick, like his body was working overtime and his head felt lightened but also in great pain, next thing he knew his chest began to ache and in a split second his heart literally exploded in his chest just as Cyborg hit his chest armor with his white noise cannon.

"say we offered all those guys those enhancement injections, how come everyone else is okay?" Rozen Asked, but instead of an answer he was met with a brief silence and Brother Blood's saber lodging itself in it's throat, causing him to gurgle blood before succumbing to his wounds and dying.

"he did talk too much"

Correcting Mother Mayhem, Brother Blood replied with.

"my dear it's not the talking alone, I just had to be certain that our operation here could never be leaked to our enemies"

As the limo started to drive away both Beast boy and Gizmo respectively said at the same time.

"what the hell was that?"

Although a bit crude, that was a question Night-wing wanted an answer to as well as C.S.I's and the people from the coroners office came to secure the crime scene and the body while Night-wing informed the team that he's tagging along to the coroner's office before heading home.

At the coroners, a while later

Night-wing was currently observing the corpse of Adonis, awaiting Adrian chase to come with the good and bad news scenario.

"so what's the verdict?"

Adrian Chase stood next to Night-wing with a blank and unreadable expression as he took a puff of smoke from a cigarette he was holding, delivering his answer bluntly.

"luckily for you the coroners office can clear you and your team of any wrong doing….. still needless to say, I'd stay away from the press until we find more concrete evidence"

Night-wing feeling grateful said to chase his thanks to Chase, Chase however reciprocated the gesture with a stern and clear friendly warning.

"I'm standing on the side of the law, I suggest you do the same"

As the day quickly came to a close, Terra/Tara was now roaming the other side of town, trying to find a good way to kill some time, that is until she saw a certain platinum haired girl tailing her and watching like a hawk, as she tried to ignore her Terra/Tara quickly realized a new approach was in order, so she deliberately lured the stranger into a narrow alley way and turned around to confront her.

"are you lost Blondie?"

The blonde scoffed while replying.

"no, I'm here to help you speed things along since your commanding officer thinks you do not provide results fast enough"

Grinning like a mad woman Terra/Tara started walking towards the blonde.

"cut the cryptic crap honey, I already know"

As Terra/Tara walked further away she stopped mid step referring to the blonde behind her.

"I'll contact you soon, so keep up"

As the target left the blonde, Rose Wilson, could only think to herself.

'gee what crawled up her ass?'

Titan's Tower, living room 02:00 am.

Terra/Tara finally came back to the tower after her nightly escapades as she crossed the Titan's living room only to find Raven reading a book quietly in the dark near the breakfast area.

"you know it would be easier for you if you turn on the lights….. either way I'm guessing it would be the only thing you'll be able to turn on"

Raven ignored the last part of that comment/ jab and the rolling laughter Terra/Tara started having as she replied.

"sharp eyes….."

A few moments of awkward silence boomed as Terra/Tara opened her mouth once more.

"as much as I love talking to a girl who can turn mimes into talk show hosts, I gotta go see a green stud about a date"

This kind of behavior should surprise her, yet again with Terra/Tara nothing is surprising anymore, however she did get in Terra/Tara's way.

"get to bed now, you can wait for the morning to ask him out in a date"

Terra/Tara took a step back in genuine surprise as she thought on how exactly to counter that, for about 2 seconds.

"let me get this straight, pardon the expression…. I'm getting lectured on how to act like a human being from, for all tense and purposes, a dyke?….. well that's rich."

At that point Terra/Tara started roaring with laughter, however what Raven did next surprised and scared her at the same time, Raven grabbed her by the throat and started chocking the life out of her.

"let me make myself clear, I don't care what you try to do to me…. mess with him or my family and I'll snap your neck like a toothpick"

The threat by itself wasn't as serious to contend with, what freaked Tara/Terra the most was the fact that another set of eyes grew on Raven's forehead and all of them glowed sickly red.

As Tara/Terra was struggling to escape Raven's grip an idea pooped into her head, leading her to address the scary demonic teen from hell once again.

"as much as you want me to believe I'm done for, you won't kill me… I'm certain of it."

At this point Raven loosened her grip a bit so that Tara/Terra could further explain.

"there's gonna be a shit show in the media and the press after what happened today, and you're most likely their first pick as a target…. killing me will only give them more ammo against you"

Before long Raven loosened her grip completely, letting Tara/Terra drop to the floor unceremoniously, grasping for air Raven spoke up.

" considered yourself on thin ice….."

After that discussion Terra/Tara took at least another hour getting her shit together, checking herself in the mirror checking if there were bruises left on her neck, funny enough there weren't.

'what do you know… dyke can't even choke a bitch properly'

After a few more minutes of Terra/Tara checking herself in the mirror she went straight into Beast boy's room, jumping onto his bed and surprising him, causing him a mild panicked reaction.

"you asleep?"

Beast boy just gave a sarcastic look that said 'no…' as Tara continued.

"you, me, date next week"

Beast boy finally spoke up with no enthusiasm in his tone.

"no… besides it's clear to me that you hate me" Tara quickly cut him mid sentence.

"i don't hate you, I'm disappointed that you're not waking up to reality"

With that Beast boy replied with.

"well I'm not waking anytime soon, I need my beauty sleep badly"

With that Beast boy went back to sleep with his eyes shutting hard from exhaustion, therefor he didn't notice Tara staring at his sleeping form, only now noticing that as usual he slept in the nude, grateful for the eye candy Tara thought to herself.

'when in Rome…..'

Immediately Tara quickly stripped off completely and climbed into Beast boy's bed, laying down next to him she fell asleep as well and after situating herself properly she began to cuddle him like a giant green teddy bear. A couple of hours went by and now Beast boy felt like turning and tossing around but he felt someone pinning him down which made him stiff and uncomfortable, knowing who it was Beast boy didn't bother making a fuss, he just silently turned into a field mouse and scurried away towards his bathroom, once there he transformed yet again into a cat, trying to find a decent spot to fall asleep on, exhaustion kicking in he simply plopped down onto the bathroom rug and fell asleep once again.

'at least she doesn't…'

Before Beast boy could complete his thought, he picked up heavy snoring from where Tara fell asleep.

'really? What the hell did I do to deserve this'

Beast boy being constantly woken up by Tara's snoring had about enough, he transformed back into human form and quietly picked up his uniform, dressing up just as quietly he went out of his room dragging his feet across the hallway into the living room and unceremoniously crashed on the couch, eyes shutting heavily while he began to breath in rhythm.

Another hour passed by and the sun was already starting to shine through the tower's windows which faced directly at the living room, a little annoyed by that Beast boy turned around facing away from the windows and continued his slumber. Another 30 minutes have passed by until Tara/Terra walked into the living room sat next to Beast boy and turned on the TV, Beast boy at this point tried to restrain himself from taking out all his rage on Terra/Tara as he quietly mumbled.

"god if you exist in any way shape or form, in all due respect… you're a jackass"

After a few more agonizing minutes of Terra/Tara surfing, she settled on the news network hosted by none other than Bethany Snow.

'tonight on JNNC news, The Teen Titans, side show freaks turned side show phonies, after killing… no murdering one of their foes in cold blood…..'

Before the TV broadcast could continue Terra/Tara noticed someone turned off the TV set, turning around to see who it was, she was met with Starfire, with an harsh and unreadable expression on her face.

"i am well aware of you depriving Beast boy of his Sleep, therefore I am making this executive decision, The Teen Titans shall receive some time today to recuperate while you Terra, since you are usually well rested shall spend the next few days training in the Gymnasium, effective immediately"

Terra/Tara was about to laugh at her face but since she felt Starfire glaring daggers at her she decided to get back at her later, heading off at the general direction of the gym Starfire made sure to pick up Beast boy gently and headed to the very specific direction of Beast boy's room, on the way to the gym Terra/Tara felt her phone vibrate, stopping to check if she got a message, the message she got was vague and was sent from an unlisted number.

'dear ms. Markov due to your unwavering loyalty to our brand and products, we're pleased to announcethat loyalty like yours must be rewarded, follow the instruction attached to thais message to confirm'

Doing just that Terra/Tara decided to blow off the gym sessions, knowing full well that it will piss off Starfire something fierce, spending the day mostly in her room until she got yet another message, this time from Slade Wilson of all people.

'any progress on your part?'

Typing back Terra replied.

'meet meat the usual place… we can talk some more there'

With that done Terra conjured her powers to levitate a few rocks to make a platform, while she stepped out of her room's window at Titan's tower, not before muttering to herself.

"so long for now suckers"

Terra's old apartment, late morning.

Setting foot back into her old apartment, the first thing she did was check if she was alone or not, after confirming she was the only one there, she immediately went to the TV set on landing on the movie Scarface, on her favorite scene containing the song She's on Fire by Amy Holland.

After watching the movie in it's entirety Terra/Tara switched off the TV and went to her bedroom searching for the movie's original soundtrack on CD, that's when she felt a strange sensation she wasn't alone anymore.

"report soldier."

Feeling pissed about the intrusion she simply replied with.

"not much is changed since last time we talked….. other than the business with Brother Blood."

Death-Stroke urged her to continue with a deathly glare, she obliged not scared at the least.

"they're vulnerable from the event, which means they will slip up, then I will strike by flipping Beast boy into our side".

After explaining further on how she's gonna achieve that feet and what part his daughter had in it, Death-Stroke reluctantly agreed to this plan, but not before issuing an explicit warning to Terra.

"deviate from that script in anyway or harm even a hair on Rose's head and I'll rip your heart out."

Terra just yawned while asking.

"anything else?"

Death-Stroke answered as he was leaving.

"get back to Titan's tower before they start suspecting you even more than usual"

 **End of Chapter 12, up next, the three part finale of the story, stay tuned.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Judas part 01

'how often have you heard the phrase 'what's the worst that could happen?', well in my case was going on a date with Tara, ending up sneaking into the hottest night club in town Eroma, meeting a smoking hot girl named Rose,and beyond that nothing else.'

Beast boy/Gar slowly woke up in a strange bed with a girl he could barely remember, his body was sore all over and his head had a splitting headache to boot, trying to keep focus he breathed in and out for a while, until the pounding of his head subsided. Looking over towards the girl currently laying in bed with the covers only lying loosely on her abdomen, Beast boy finally zeroed in on the fact that she was naked, wanting to panic over the confusion he was now feeling, he instead took very deep breath and tried to retrace what happened from memory.

'okay… first I went on a date with Tara…. it went about as usual until she suggested going into a night club, I say no at first but somehow she ropes me into sneaking in with her…. she introduces me to a girlfriend of hers, Rose and then Tara offers to buy me a drink… I say no thanks , then yet again…. damn it ….'

With that in mind he wanted to berate himself for being so careless but the harm has already been done, so instead he went over to the bed and draped the blanket over the girl to make sure she's warm enough.

"thanks but I'm a light sleeper…"

Beast boy a little surprised stammers shyly an ' you're welcome' before proceeding to ask.

"please don't take it the wrong way but… can you help me remember what happened last night?…. it's a pain in the ass to remember literally."

Rose at this point couldn't help but smirk at first before replying.

"those are interesting choice words since Tara took you from behind last night"

At this point Beast boy/Gar lost his footing just as Tara came back into the room.

"you already told him?…. too bad, I wanted the honors of doing it myself"

All Beast boy/Gar could do at the moment was stare helplessly at Tara like a deer in front of the headlights asking silently the only question that really did count at the moment. 'why?'

Tara/Terra knelled down on the floor to level with Beast boy's/Gar's eyes when answering, while gently stroking his cheek.

"it was my mission to infiltrate the Teen Titans under Death-Stroke's orders… but since those grade a assholes didn't trust me one bit, I had to approach you, since we've got history….. lover"

Resisting the urge to shiver, cry and throw up all in the same time Beast boy tried his best to steal himself before replying.

"so you got to me…. now what? You expect me to turn coat on my friends and family like you?… what makes you think that I won't expose you to the police or the Titans for the bitch you really are?"

Tara/Terra started grinning like the cat that ate the canary before continuing the conversation.

"well first of all I kept surveillance footage from what happened last night, which leads me to my second point, who's to say you didn't force yourself on me last night, I'm just an innocent naive girl after all"

Beast boy at this point looked like he stopped breathing he just sat there stumped while in the meantime Rose got out of bed, got dressed and made breakfast to herself, meanwhile Tara/Terra waited impatiently for Beast boy/Gar to react, however her fuse failed her.

"well….. say something you dolt"

Beast boy slowly got up and started to walk, more like limb and wobble towards the door, to the surprise of both Tara/Terra and Rose.

"what the fuck are you doing?"

Beast boy answered her not bothering to turn back and look at her.

"i rather take my chances with the Teen Titans or the police before I'll ever consider betraying them….. especially for a nutty broad like you…. besides I got a witness to back up my story"

Terra/Tara started laughing maniacally at that last statement for a few minutes before composing herself and answering both the questions Beast boy's and Rose's face were silently asking.

"you two seriously think I didn't expect that scenario coming… oh and Rose please understand babe, it's nothing personal…."

At that Terra/Tara started using her powers to break a pieces of marble from the room's kitchen area and flung it at Rose's throat, however at a blink of an eye Beast boy covered rose with his back making the shards lodge in his shoulder and upper back, confused and annoyed by what happened Terra/Tara fled the scene, using her powers yet again, this time however to collapse the hall she was walking away from hoping to trap the two in the hotel room, Rose on the other hand quickly regained her senses and was currently helping Beast boy removing most of the shrapnel from his back.

"you damn fool… you knew it was a setup, yet you helped me… what the hell where you thinking?"

Beast boy now both crying and laughing from the pain just answered as followed.

"i wasn't…. I just know I'd hate myself even more if I lived to see the day I 'd become a hypocrite"

Somewhat moved by his answer, Rose quickly found Beast boy's clothes and helped him get dressed ignoring any awkward situation that may occur.

"for what is worth, I'd never sink as low as that bitch went… not even to complete a mission, now to show you another sign of good faith…. my full name is Rose Wilson, I'm Slade Wilson's daughter… this should convince your friends it was a setup"

Beast boy smiled shyly as he replied back.

"thanks… I know my friends actually trust me"

After getting dressed and limping towards the window he stopped to ask.

"what made you help me?"

Rose slyly just said.

"you being you…."

Beast boy regaining some of his confidence back beckoned Rose to tag along with him and when she agreed he tried transforming into animal form to aid their escape, however as hard as he tried he couldn't maintain a form large enough to carry them both, overcome with guilt on her partial involvement with what happened to him, Rose took charge of the situation.

"stop for a moment, change into a smaller form, and I'll make sure we're out of here"

Having no reason to doubt her Beast boy transformed into a mouse and climbed aboard her shoulder, Rose on her part opened the window and started climbing down on the ledges until she found an open window to climb into a few floors below, surprising a few hotel guests currently occupying the room.

"call 911 an accident happened just above us"

Beast boy at this point changed from a mouse back into human form panting from exhaustion and started wobbling towards the lobby, after a long while he finally made it to the front of the hotel passing along firemen who ran into the opposite direction, once again he breathed in, standing all the pain he could before transforming into a hawk, flying towards Titan's tower.

At Titans tower with Terra.

Terra strolled into Titan's tower like she didn't have a care in the world, she came in looking to see if there was anyone around and after awhile she confirmed she was all alone.

"Terra to Death-Stroke come in, what's your location"

Through her earpiece Death-Stroke replied.

"outside Titan's tower… as expected he didn't take the bait hasn't he?"

Terra fuming just asked.

"is that your idea of 'I told you so'?"

Death-Stroke didn't answer which pissed her off even more, however he broke his silence pretty quickly as a green hawk was visible from his line of sight.

"heads up your lover is on his way. Stall him for as long as possible until the rest of the Titans arrive"

Terra just nodded as she quietly thought to herself.

'the dumb bastard just can't take a hint'

With that Terra waited in the kitchen until she heard the elevator ding and out came in Beast boy all battered, bruised and hurt.

"took you long enough… too bad that wasn't the case in bed last night"

Beast boy not bothering to reign in his emotions just started yelling at her.

"how could you!?…. I honestly fell in love with you, how could you hurt me like that and still make jokes…."

Terra/Tara didn't say anything at first, however she ripped most of her clothes from her body and started mutilating herself before answering.

"a joke?, that is precisely why I did all that I've done, because you are a one big joke, instead of a real man"

Beast boy lunged from where he stood trying not to hurt her, but to stop her from furthering hurt herself, she on the other hand started to laugh, counting the conversation.

"that's it continue pretending to be a hero, you're only digging your grave all the more faster"

Disgusted and confused Beast boy took a few steps back, asking her somberly and quietly.

"tell me, how much of it was a lie… did you ever love me to begin with?"

Taken a back a little by his tone, Terra/Tara couldn't help but tell him the truth.

"not at first…. but after awhile, I started seeing a kindred spirit within you….. enough that I was considering screwing over Death-Stroke, the Titans and everybody else just so we could lead a life together… sadly however you're too crazy and delusional to see the truth as I see it"

After that revelation both teens became really quiet for a long while, long enough for the rest of the Teen Titans to arrive back to the tower.

From within the Titan's garage, Cyborg, Raven, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash got out of Cyborg's T car, With Night-wing and Starfire coming in on a motorcycle not far behind, at first everything seemed just fine, that is until Raven started picking up on Beast boy's distress and pain.

"guys we've got trouble in the living room, quick Beast boy is in danger"

Not doubting Raven for a second everyone followed her quick, meanwhile Tara/Terra took notice on the elevator roaring back into life and mentally prepared herself for the performance of her lifetime, not before winking to Beast boy saying.

"well it's showtime"

As the elevator reached it's destination, Terra/Tara dropped to the floor sobbing greeting the Teen Titans with the following.

"thank goodness you made it… it's just awful…. Beast boy….. he ra….. he violated me last night….. and now he tried to beat me to death, so I'd keep my mouth shut…."

With that Terra/Tara started bawling her eyes out, trying to find some sympathy from the Titans, among the stunned silence Night-wing was the first to approach her.

"calm down and start again… something doesn't add up…. from what we know Raven told us Beast boy was in danger… do you feel like you can recall everything that you remember?"

Cyborg spoke up next.

"i don't know how else to say it, but I know Beast boy…. and it's not like him to act this way."

Raven agreeing with Cyborg chipped into the conversation.

"let's hear from the defendant next, I'm sure we can get to the truth without the extra drama"

Beast boy spoke up in his defense, not caring for anything else right now.

"Raven, I know you respect everyone's privacy but please probe through my mind….. I got nothing to hide"

Raven prepared herself to skim through Beast boy's mind to get to the truth of the matter as Cyborg approached Terra/Tara.

"i assume you have evidence of the incident on you?"

Terra doing her best to keep up her act acted offended and hurt while pulling a thumb drive from her pockets handing it to Cyborg, the teen examined it with his cybernetic eye for a few moments as Raven started going through Beast boy's mind like an archival footage, to say that Beast boy's most recent memories were disturbing and fragmented was an understatement, however there was no memory of Beast boy ever attacking Terra/Tara, on the contrary she saw Tara/Terra mutilating herself, which made Raven think.

'interesting'

With the mind probing being done Raven addressed Tara/Terra but not before letting Beast boy know in silence that she believed him and in him.

"Tara?, can you recall the moment of Beast boy attacking you one more time?"

Confused the blonde in question just asked.

"why!?, what for?…. I already told you he attacked me to keep me from talking."

Raven answered, which in reality she was leading her into a confession.

"you did say that, but what were is exact words before he started assaulting you?"

Confusion and annoyance threatened to overwhelm Tara/Terra as she acted like she was trying to remember, but truth be told, the more time passed the harder it was for her to sell as convincing, so she tried to shift the attention on the Teen Titans.

"look it's hard for me to remember right now, the trauma is still all too fresh thanks to him… where were you anyway?"

Night-wing chose to answer this time.

"you're right… we were responding to an emergency."

Terra/Tara sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"really?, an emergency?….. I wouldn't consider a collapsed hallway in a hotel as an emergency that required all of you guys there."

Raven smirked to herself keeping it hidden from Terra/Tara thankful for what Night-wing did before speaking up yet again.

"that's a valid point…. however it's also a valid point that we didn't say anything about a collapsed hallway, or a hotel for that matter so how would you know?"

All eyes were now on Tara, including Beast boy's, who at this moment was feeling justified, Tara realizing she goofed tried to salvage the situation.

"well…. I watched it on the news if you must know miss know it all…"

Cyborg spoke up next, calling out on Tara's bluff.

"well you wouldn't mind if I checked the remote or the TV now would you?"

Tara at this moment has started sweating bullets as panic slowly built up as she clenched her fists and dug her heels preparing for a fight, Starfire and Wonder Girl spoke up in unison.

"we would not do it if we were you…."

Tara could only laugh slightly at this.

"that's just it…. you're not me"

Before the rest of the Titans could react Tara started using her powers shaking up the tower, trying to bury the whole team under debris, as she made an exit for herself and started fleeing the tower.

"change of plans Death-Stroke, the Teen Titans made me too soon, I'll try to split them up as you take them down one at the time."

Over on the comm Death-Stroke didn't say nothing, it sounded like he wasn't even there.

"Slade….. you asshole… do you acknowledge… over."

The Teen Titans on the other hand survived Tara's ambush, and were now clearing the debris as they made it to where Tara escaped from, Starfire quickly took charge.

"i am confused as well as you are friends and the only person that could give us answers has fled, Beast boy and Raven shall start searching northbound, myself and Wonder Girl shall search towards west ,Night-wing and Cyborg shall take east, and Kid Flash will search south, acting as the cavalry if we should need it, now Titans go"

With that the Teen Titans dispersed as each went their own direction, with Beast boy taking point, taking form as an eagle only for his powers to fail him, luckily Raven managed to catch him in time.

"hold it… you're in no condition to go off without a plan."

Beast boy feeling a little light headed answered slowly.

"sorry…. I just happen to know of a good place she might hide in."

Waiting for an answer, raven asked him a bit impatiently.

"do you expect me to guess?"

Beast boy feeling like a dumb-ass replied quickly with an apology and gave her the address where Tara's rundown apartment was.

Tara's old apartment. A while later.

As both Beast boy and Raven entered the apartment, they immediately started searching for clues as to where Tara could hide next, unfortunately due to the state of the upkeep of the apartment it would've been more sanitary to conduct a search at the city's dump, quickly opening a window Beast boy started a conversation.

"thanks"

Raven a bit confused retorted with.

"i should thank you, you opened up the window."

Smiling a bit Beast boy elaborated on his meaning.

"no problem…. actually I said thank you for not saying I told you so"

As both Raven and Beast boy resuming their roaming for leads a sudden jolt of pain rushed through Beast boy's shoulder, he at first tried to bear it and soldiered on but the more he ignored it, the more it became unbearable not just for Beast boy but for Raven too. Deciding that enough is enough Raven approached Beast boy and with an assertive tug made him face her as she traced the wounds with her healing touch.

"for the life of me…. why didn't you say anything?"

With embarrassment and guilt written on, nay, etched on his face the teen in question answered quietly.

"i messed up…. if it wasn't for my idiocy none of us would be in this goddamn mess"

Raven stopped what she was doing for a sec only to slap Beast boy in the face hard, Beast boy did not snap or even tried to defend himself, which angered Raven more.

"snap out of this gloom and doom bullshit, she's the one who chose to betray us, she was the one who chose to take advantage of your naivete… all that you were responsible of was allowing her to get in…"

At this Beast boy began sobbing uncontrollably, his tears flooding his eyes as he muttered silently.

"i should've listened….. I should've known better…."

Beast boy kept on muttering that phrase for a long while and in that point in time Raven did the only thing she could've done, she embraced him tightly shushing him in the hopes he would calm down, muttering to him in return.

"it's not your fault… it's not your fault."

After a little while Beast boy finally calmed down enough to pull himself back together, only he didn't pry away from Raven's embrace.

"please don't kill me….. but I don't want you to stop hugging me, it just feels right"

Raven could only slightly smirk, saying silently.

'it's perfectly alright'

Soon afterwards Raven resumed healing Beast boy, never breaking away from the position both of them were in, and just as the last of Beast boy's physical wounds healed, something caught Raven's eye from the kitchen's window, it looked like a small projectile at first zooming in towards them, only the closer it got the bigger the object became, now looking like a small meteorite.

"get down"

As Raven quickly pushed Beast boy out of harm's way, she quickly raised a force field shielding the both of them, trying to minimize the impact of that 'meteorite' only to see Terra floating by a few moments afterwards.

"you know something Raven, not only you're a dyke, but you're a dick to boot"

Raven nonplussed chose to answer in her monotone.

"I'll take that as a compliment once I'll put a stop to you."

Terra just smirked retorting back.

"the only way you'll stop me is by killing me….. and I know for a fact none of you Teen Titans have the spine to do what is necessary"

With that out of the way Raven and Terra started fighting with each other, Terra launching small projectile like shrapnel while Raven expertly blocking, trying to launch in return those shrapnel and kitchen utensils, trying to distract her long enough to land a solid punch and a kick in hopes of rendering Terra unconscious, however that fight quickly came down to a standstill, recovering from the surprise attack Beast boy transformed into a Western lowland gorilla taking Terra by surprise and throwing her across the room, making her land with her back against the living room wall while Beast boy returned to human form.

"this time beauty won't kill the beast"

Raven deadpanned at that remark.

"the only problem is she's not remotely beautiful"

Beast boy ignoring that comment was now trying to reach the Teen Titans, trying and failing cause none of them would answer, trying a few times more he finally heard a response, however, it was not the response he was hoping for.

"don't bother I've taken most of the Titans down… now only you two are left"

Death-Stroke stood at the front entrance of the apartment brandishing in his right arm an M-16 assault rifle with a grenade launcher attachment while in his left arm he wielded his signature Claymore sword, without a single word he aimed the assault rifle at the two Titans, firing the weapon just as Raven again spanned a force field around her and Beast boy, as the bullets came hitting and bouncing off making Death-Stroke miss and almost hitting Terra.

"are you crazy? Don't you care about your subordinate?" Beast boy and Raven asked at the exact same time, earning a sardonic laugh out of the mercenary.

"does it look like I care what happens to her, or did you forget that this bitch tried to play both sides against each other?"

Raven was about to answer back but before she could speak she noticed Night-wing sneaking up on Death-Stroke, only to fail at it in the last possible moment, however Death-Stroke's attention laid elsewhere yet the bad news kept on coming, it appears Beast boy's strike was less then affective as Terra now regained her strength and stumbled out of the battle zone, trying to use her powers to make a strategic retreat, making Beast boy groan in annoyance.

"i really starting to hate it about her"

With that Beast boy and Raven tried to give Terra pursuit while Night-wing kept Death-Stroke at bay matching him blow for blow.

"give up Slade…. nothing that you do would give you rest from losing Grant"

Death-Stroke became visibly angry under his mask asking Night-wing in an accusing tone.

"oh really… and what would you know about guilt… through your own inaction he died in disgrace on the battle field"

Night-wing answered back, this time dropping all pretenses of a well placed clever comment.

"i know a lot about guilt….. that's what drives me forward…"

Instead of answering him Death-Stroke pressed on with his attacks.

Death-Stroke's bout with Night-wing continued for a while longer, switching from fists and kicks to projectiles and bullets, with no clear advantage gained both thought at the same time.

'i need to put an end tp it fast I'm running out of stamina'

With that in mind Death-Stroke gathered himself for one last attack, Night-wing however instead of fighting back just started avoiding the attacks all together, allowing a few solid hits to land before surprising Death-Stroke completely, he jumped backwards through the hoke Terra made during the attack allowing himself to fall from a few stories high, luckily his suit functioned as a body armor, making him survive the fall with a few cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder, concentrating for a bit, he muttered before Death-Stroke came to collect him.

"it better work or else I'm screwed"

With Raven and Beast boy, a few minutes later.

Beast boy and Raven were in hot pursuit after Terra, with the blonde constantly throwing projectiles at them and random passerby's just to keep them off her track with Raven blocking the projectiles every time, however Raven started seeing mental images of Night-wing followed up with instructions which made Raven stop in her tracks.

"Raven is something wrong?, there's a crazy bitch on the loose"

Raven acknowledged Beast boy but didn't answer, instead she took a minute to concentrate before answering back.

"let her go… Night-wing has been captured"

Beast boy a little stumped just faced palmed himself hard asking.

"tell me there's a silver lining somewhere in this"

Raven replied with the following as a matter of fact.

"yes, he allowed himself to be captured…. he's got a tracking device in his suit"

Beast boy at that just made a face, quietly saying 'of course he has' as Raven continued explaining the plan to Beast boy.

In the meantime with Terra, the blonde in question noticed that those two morons Raven and Beast boy have seized following her, knowing it's not like them, she immediately contacted Death-Stroke.

"Terra calling Death-Stroke come in, what's the situation?"

A few seconds passed by until Death-Stroke reported in.

" Night-wing has been captured, moving in to the drop off point….. what about your end?"

Terra replied in a hurry.

"that's just it, Beast boy and Raven stopped following me all of a sudden….. should I go after them?"

Death-Stroke took his time, thinking over about what happened and how it happened before he gave his final reply to Terra.

"leave them alone, Night-wing got a tracker on him, so instead of chasing them let them come to us"

With that Terra closed the connection thinking to herself.

'I'm crazy but he's clearly nuts'

Back with Raven and Beast boy.

"so let's see if I got it right… he allowed himself to be captured so we could track him down and rescue everyone in the process….. is that about right?"

Raven in return just gave him a stare that said 'more or less'

Beast boy now slightly freaking out threw this next comment laced with sarcasm.

"just us, fighting against an army waiting to kill us, no problem…. while we're at it let's give a ring to Batman for moral support…."

Raven just gave him a blank stare in response.

"that's about it"

Now Beast boy was caught off guard, continuing the conversation with.

"sure, why not?, you got his number on speed dial?, I'm just asking cause call me crazy but I don't think he has his number listed in the yellow pages."

Raven ignoring beast boy's rant was now typing a few numbers and codes into her communicator until an image of Batman, Gotham's crusader addressed her.

"speak."

Unimpressed by Batman's bluntness Raven relayed this next message.

"Night-wing's in trouble…. initiate protocol 'Thomas'."

Batman only slightly nodded before the line on his end went dark, which Beast boy took the opportunity to speak after he got rid off an awestruck impression on his face.

"did that really just happen?"

Raven just replied with a quiet 'yep' before Beast boy just thought of something out loud.

"i should've asked him for an autograph"

Rolling her eyes at his comments Raven started a conversation.

"i doubt he would have given you one… and before you ask, now we wait"

Beast boy was about to ask 'wait for what?' but before he could utter that sentence he started hearing faint sounds in the distance, before long he witnessed with his sharp eye sight, a weird plane shaped like a bat coming their way, realizing it was the Bat plane Beast boy began to get giddy like a kid getting to open his Christmas presents early, as the plane made it's vertical landing both teens could see the plane was modeled like a harrier VTOL jump jet, the cockpit automatically opened up, before Beast boy said with enthusiasm.

"please tell me we are getting in"

Raven gave him a small nod which made Beast boy fist pump in the air, leaving Raven to think.

'oh boy…. there won't be living with him for a while'

In route with Death-Stroke and Terra, Chevrolet Kodiak, GMC C-Series.

Death-stroke was currently at the wheel of a transport truck, carting away the unconscious Teen Titans towards an undisclosed H.I.V.E compound with Terra doing her best to pester him and being a bitch in general.

"you're so full of bullshit you know that?, after all of your big talk about professionalism and perfectionism you let a couple of weaklings escape, seriously, one is a literal petting zoo and the other one does nothing with her powers except playing nursemaid…. I could've taken on both of them myself and kick their ass to Sunday, but no… you apparently rely on the fact that they'll follow us….….. jackass"

Death-Stroke briefly responded with.

"are you done?…. make yourself useful by keeping an eye on our captives"

Terra at that started making faces like an impudent child muttering under her breath.

"keep an eye on them bah….. like they have anywhere to go to begin with"

Meanwhile up above in the Bat plane, Beast boy and Raven kept a close eye on the tracking device Night-wing activated, as they tracked it down to the truck heading out of Jump city heading towards Louisiana, more specifically the swamp lands which got a response from Beast boy.

"say do you think we should call backup just in case, you know a heavy hitter like Swamp Thing?"

Raven didn't response at first but after a while she spoke up, intending to quiet Beast boy.

"i can sense your fear, there's no reason to I'm currently coming up with a plan and a back up plan… besides finding Swamp Thing and convincing him to help will take too much time… time that we don't have"

Having nothing to say back Beast boy settled with.

" I'm taking a little nap, can you wake me up when we reach our destination?"

As the Bat plane continued to fly it already passed Louisiana and was heading to the general vicinity of Colorado, more in particular the Rocky mountains. Seeing the truck slow down Raven tried to wake up Beast boy who transformed into a Yorkshire Terrier in his sleep, to which Raven thought to herself.

'thank goodness he missed where we went through'

Raven kept trying to wake up Beast boy but to no avail, he was a heavy, sound and noisy sleeper, she considered at points waking him up with a kiss but before she could act on that line of thought, Beast boy began to wake up.

"finally look alive were getting nearer to our drop point"

With the Teen Titans, in the trucks cargo hall.

Night-wing was awake for most of the trip trying to fiddle with a set of high-tech handcuffs slapped on by Death-Stroke with little to no luck, occasionally taking small breaks to rest, while the rest of the team now regaining consciousness.

"anyone knows where we are?" Kid Flash asked no one in particular.

Starfire answered with an unamused tone.

"we have no faint of a clue… we do know that these restraints are designed to counter act our powers"

Night-wing sensing some rising tension, dispelled his friend's worries.

"don't worry, Raven and Beast boy are on our trail, and I intend to provide back up, once I'm out of this cuffs"

Having faith in their friend and former leader, the rest of the titans didn't say a thing in hopes that death-Stroke and Terra the traitor wouldn't catch on, Starfire however asked.

"Richard, what on earth are you doing?"

Richard/Night-wing answered.

"something I never liked doing"

With that Night-wing popped both of his wrists to escape the cuffs, and as they slid off he popped them right back on with a paine expression on his face, breathing deeply he was now searching for an access panel in the cargo hall, however he didn't find any.

"Cyborg can I ask something?"

Cyborg just gave him a nod to ask away.

"do you have any lasers on you?"

Cyborg catching on to his plan just replied with.

"yeah sure pal, just as long as you can get me out of this damned cuffs"

Night-wing immediately jumped on Cyborg's cuffs, fishing out a set of lock picks and started fiddling with them hoping to release Cyborg before getting to their destination.

In the truck's cab with Death-stroke and Terra, the former spoke up.

"check on our prisoners"

Terra began to whine and bitch in response.

"is it really necessary?… we got about 10 minutes until we reach our destination…"

Death-Stroke not having any of her bullshit shot back.

"check before I'll slit your throat"

Terra opened up a small window to check on the captives only to see that none of them were moving, feeling confident and smug, she shot right back at her 'boss'.

"see nothing to worry about… you're mask sits too tight on your face"

A bit skeptical Death-Stroke kept on driving, fully aware that Beast boy and Raven are on his tail, thinking to himself.

'just as predicted'

Right after Terra closed the hatch for the final time Night-wing went back to work of freeing Cyborg from his cuffs, managing to break them in a record time of 6 minutes, Cyborg in return helped Night-wing cut a hole with his lasers through the floor, at the end Night-wing slapped the cuffs back on Cyborg who quietly yelled.

"what the hell man?"

Night-wing quickly responded.

"i need to sneak out of here and provide help for Beast boy and Raven, now I can't afford myself to let Death-Stroke now I escaped early, trust me I'll be back."

He relaid the last part of his statement to the rest of the Teen Titans while he kicked his way through the floor, using the road bumps to disguise the noise, using the moment the truck had to slow down and slide out, while Kid Flash just randomly asked.

"does it bother anyone else that when he acts like a dick, he's acting like a major dick?"

Meanwhile, once Night-wing got outside he took a mental picture of his surroundings before he started running towards where the Bat plane was currently making it's landing, not taking any chances he made a little recon mission, finding as many H.I.V.E patrol guards as he could and proceeded to knock them all down before rendezvousing with Raven and Beast boy.

"nice to see you got my message, how was the flight?"

Beast boy was the first to answer.

"could've used some peanuts but…."

At this point the other two just glared at him as Beast boy asked the all important question.

"what?"

Night-wing instead of continuing the awkward conversation was now making sure his friends were focusing on the rescue operation.

"so any ideas on how are we getting in?"

Immediately Beast boy raised his hand.

"this better be good"

Beast boy a little shy and apprehensive began to feel like he was about to stutter so he blurted his idea out.

"well why not dress like the guards?, you know pass security like a Trojan horse… did I say something stupid again?"

Night-wing only smirked as he ruffle Beast boy's hair a bit saying silently.

'on the contrary'

Back with Death-Stroke and Terra, the two villains parked the truck inside the H.I.V.E compound, now opening the cargo hall, only to see another one is missing, Death-Stroke didn't panic, didn't get upset, he didn't even raised his voice, he simply instructed Terra and the H.I.V.E guards patrolling the area.

"secure the prisoners… I'll round up the stragglers"

As death-Stroke left the are towards the outside perimeter, Beast boy, raven and Beast boy found only one guard outside of his post, making Night-wing improvise as he knocked the guard out cold.

"can you two act or at least improvise?"

Both teens answered in unison.

"what you had in mind?"

With that Night-wing quickly explained as he hurriedly wore the guards gear and helmet.

"simple. I'll pose as the guard who caught you two, any objections?"

Beast boy was about to voice his dismay but he quickly shut up after thinking it over again, thinking to himself.

'never mind… I don't have time to complain anyway'

death-Stroke ran around the compound, trying to locate Night-wing and the rest of the Titans currently on the loose, the only thought that ran in his mind was.

'damn Terra, her sloppiness is beginning to affect me… never mind once the mission is finished she's dead meat'

As luck would have it, a few more moments went by and he came across Night-wing, dressed as a H.I.V.E guard leading Beast boy and Raven into the inner compound.

"soldier, there was supposed to be a third one….. what happened to him?"

The guard was silent at first but after a few moments he answered.

"i had to kill him, he gave me too much hassle"

Death-Stroke not being a fool saw through the rouse, but still decided to keep quiet and play along.

"very well escort the prisoners inside, I'll collect the corpse myself"

Nodding the 'guard' and his 'captives' went on their way as Death-Stroke waited a few seconds before getting on the comm addressing Terra.

"Terra come in, a guard is coming your way with Beast boy and Raven…. make sure to greet them"

Terra in the holding cells with the rest of the Teen Titans and a few H.I.V.E guards were listening in before Terra took command.

"make sure to follow my lead, and as for our 'guests', make sure a couple of you stay behind to watch them"

Right on cue the 'guard' came in with Beast boy and Raven, Beast boy noticing Terra grinning like the Cheshire cat, whispered to Night-wing.

"she's grinning… I think she knows"

Night-wing talked under his breath.

"it was a long shot…. follow my lead and wait for an opening"

Terra approached the 'guard' eyeballing him.

The eyeballing process took awhile, making Night-wing, Beast boy and Raven nervous and on edge even more so than Terra getting uncomfortably close to the 'guard' until she decided to speak.

"care to tell me how you managed to kill Night-wing?"

When she asked that question she didn't pay attention to the 'guard' as much as she payed attention to the captive Starfire, trying to read her emotions, to see if she could gain something useful to use in blowing Night-wing's cover, however she didn't see what she expected to see, she saw a tinge of sadness so she refocused her efforts on the 'guard'.

"well, answer me."

Night-wing chose to reply the following.

"pure luck mam"

Getting irritated that she didn't get anywhere, suddenly had a flash of genius.

"guard, would you remove your helmet, it's impolite to talk to a lady in such manner"

The 'guard' retorted to the request with.

"sorry mam I'm still on duty"

Terra just smiled at him warmly.

"oh that's alright with me Richard"

At that Night-wing dropped the 'guard' disguise and started knocking down the guards that came with Terra while Beast boy and Raven charged their former teammate head on, well at least that was the attempt before she conjured her powers to create a small earthquake that made the rest of the Titans struggle for balance, she attempted immediately after that to punch them unconscious, however she saw Death-Stroke tossing a smoke grenade, dropping them on the spot as Terra backed away.

"thanks for the warning asshole"

Death-Stroke didn't say a thing, he only picked up the Titans one by one and carried them to their cells

H.I.V.E holding cells, a few hours later.

Beast boy along with Raven and Night-wing was the last one to wake up in a holding cell with a soar throat and a splitting headache.

"anybody got any aspirin?"

The rest of the Teen Titans didn't answer so he responded with this.

"forget I said anything."

With that he tried to transform into animal form but the more he tried nothing really happened, to which Night-wing responded with.

"your cell counteracts your abilities"

Beast boy at that made a motion that silently said 'this sucks' before asking Night-wing the following.

"hey can you pick the lock and release us by any chance?"

Night-wing replied silently.

"I've been at it for a couple of hours without success"

Beast boy at this point was still hopeful so he addressed Cyborg.

"any luck on your part man?"

The reply from Cyborg was a resounding no, so Beast boy took this moment to fall back asleep as he was trying to come up with something on his own, key word being try.

At this point and time a faint noise of a helicopter from outside was beginning to sound louder and louder as it made it's approach, a few moments later Terra came around with a bossy attitude.

"on your feet prisoners"

Beast boy hearing her voice got up and got close as much as possible before asking.

"what no hello, no how are you?… not so long ago we were friends, not to mention boyfriend and girlfriend"

As she got closer to him as well Terra only smiled before decking him right in the nose replying with.

"god I wanted to do that for a while now"

The other Titans watched helplessly as she repeated herself.

"on your feet prisoners, your big day has arrived"

As she led the Teen Titans out of their cells, Raven tried to get a read on Terra's emotions while Starfire tried to distract her alongside with reasoning with the nutty teen.

"it is not too late to mend your ways, you do not have to follow Death-Stroke's or the H.I.V.E directives, let us go and we will find you the appropriate help you need"

At that moment Terra's anger and rage flared up.

"excuse me?!, does it look like I need your help?….. nobody os forcing me to do anything, I do it because I want to, I don't need any help, I just want to be left the fuck alone."

At that Starfire ceased talking as she got close to Raven to ask if she picked up on anything, Raven only replied with.

"tell Night-wing, if he's got a plan, he better think of it quick…. otherwise it doesn't look good for either of us"

As Starfire leaned in discreetly to Night-wing, he whispered softly.

"i already disabled my restraints, just stall long enough so Terra and Death-Stroke won't notice while I'll take down the other guards and rescue the others"

With that the Teen Titans were led to a big hall in the compound, with a few hundred

H. I.V.E agents in attendants.

Starfire in return turned to Kid Flash relaying Night-wing's instructions, Nodding with a reply of his on.

"not to worry my lady I've got an idea of my own….."

Terra started to get suspicious so she went over to Kid Flash to grill him.

"what the fuck is going on here? Get moving will you?"

Kid Flash taking his moment shouted back.

"you took the words right out of my mouth, can we speed things up? Some of us need to use the bathroom, I'm suffering from hyper metabolism over here"

Terra repulsed from the mental images popping into her head, turned to Death-Stroke for advice on how to proceed, he on the other hand had only this to say.

"you heard the boy escort him to the restroom, I'll inform mistress H.I.V.E on the delay while the guards escort the rest of the prisoners to the podium, Night-wing thankful for Kid Flash's quick thinking, got rid of his restraints discreetly, and accessed the Bat plane's computer through a small computer hidden inside his gauntlets, typing in a series of commands and coordinates, just as Death-Stroke and Terra came back with Kid Flash.

Entering the main hall and being led onto a podium, some of the H.I.V.E agents began booing the Teen Titans and getting over all rowdy, however before it could escalate any further a new character the Teen Titans haven't come across with, silenced the crowd, that person from her outward appearance and demeanor Night-wing clearly deduced she was the H.I.V.E mistress.

"my fellow H.I.V.E drones, for far too long the Teen Titans have disrupted our way of life but no longer….."

Kid Flash interrupted mid speech.

"sorry to interrupt but can we hurry this along? If we wait any longer we might end up striking roots"

The H.I.V.E mistress instead of acknowledging Kid Flash's comment just went about with business as usual.

"as I said before I was rudely interrupted… the time has come for the Titans to suffer the consequences of their actions, death-Stroke if you would be so kind as to be our executioner."

To everyone's surprise Death-Stroke refused.

"as much as it would give me nothing but pleasure I must decline… the original contract specified that Ravager must defeat the Teen Titans on your behalf… since he couldn't accomplish said mission I stepped in for him."

The H.I.V.E mistress concealing her emotions under a Golden beehive mask and a stone cold expression retorted with the following.

"yes well, when this organization means defeat, we're not shying away from a good execution…so unless one of them, if not all of them are dead your contract with us isn't finished"

Death-Stroke didn't move for a long while he just glared daggers at the H.I.V.E mistress until eventually he replied with.

"if I may, I have a better suggestion…"

The H.I.V.E mistress's curiousity peaked so she signaled him to continue.

"appoint Terra to be their executioner, her disposition makes her a much more worthier candidate than me"

The H.I.V.E mistress now addressed Terra.

"have you got any objections at all?"

Terra replied without even blinking.

"no."

With that the mistress continued.

"let the execution commence….."

Kid Flash interrupted once again.

"whew finally….. my legs almost went numb"

Under a well disguised irritation he H.I.V.E mistress acknowledged Terra once more.

"would you like to decide who shall die first?"

Picking up on her irritation Terra gleefully answered.

"the pleasure will be all mine"

Going through each member of the teen Titans Terra thought out loud.

"which one of you should I kill first?….. should I start with Cyborg, who's been rude to me from day one?… Kid Flash?, who's irritating personality can get under anyone's skin?…. maybe Wonder Girl or Starfire?, for daring to think they both could boss me around?…. then of course there's Raven who dared to give me a living hell… and last but certainly not least, There's Beast boy, who of all dared and broke my heart to tiny little pieces…. all such good choices… with your permission my mistress… may I think it over thoroughly?"

The mistress replying back.

"don't take too long…. we've got a schedule to keep"

Taking her time to think for a few more moments, Terra finally made her decision.

"let's strat with Night-wing, he's the most worthless member of the team…. the others are far more useful alive for the time being"

With that the H.I.V.E mistress gave her approval to commence, as Terra went over to Night-wing and pushed him forward to centre stage. Beast boy hearing the Bat plane hovering nearby quickly stalled for more time as Terra conjured serrated debris with her powers ready to stab Night-wing's heart.

"hold it… hold it… doesn't the accused get to say a few final words or one last wish?"

Terra was extremely annoyed at this point, however the mistress stopped her.

"wait… I'm intrigued young one, we're your enemies, what makes you think we'll oblige your requests or pleas?"

Beast boy getting nervous a little from the multitude of eyes all fixated on him, plus having to think of something convincing on the spot, just went with what was most logical to him.

"sure you say we are enemies and sure you are bad guys…. but even bad guys have a certain code to follow, especially an organization bent on world domination…"

After a few moments of deathly silence the H.I.V.E mistress addressed Beast boy directly.

"since you have the mouth of a politician… I see no reason why not to grant your request."

With that Terra had no choice but to release on of the sharpened debris from Night-wing's throat.

"speak quickly."

Night-wing massaged his throat a bit before replying with.

"just one humble request… to say goodbye to my team"

Terra just gave him a glare that said silently 'make it quick' which Night-wing obliged, getting over to his teammates he quickly briefed them on what's about to happen while secretly releasing Cyborg's cuffs yet again before pretending to say goodbye, with that Terra's impatient voice rang.

"what about your final words?"

Night-wing smirked before saying.

"Bat plane… engage"

With that the ground started shaking as a few missiles were shot from the Bat plane close enough to the structure to cause a commotion without causing unnecessary casualties.

 **To be continued in part 02.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Judas part 02

As the compound continued to shake and most of the H.I.V.E members headed for the exit, Night-wing pulled out his escrima sticks and combined them into a Bo staff as he circled Terra trying to predict what she would do next, she in turn conjured a mass amount of ground around her acting like a secondary pair of arms.

"it's pointless you know… all those months living among you…. I know every move you're gonna make before you're gonna make it."

Night-wing only smirked when he replied.

"that's just it, I held my cards close to my chest"

With that out of the way Night-wing charged Terra, trying to close the gap as much as possible with Terra manipulating the ground around her to maintain a distance for long range attacks, giving enough time for the other Titans to free themselves and pursuit the H.I.V.E mistress, knowing she was about to be captured, she relayed the next order.

"guards, kill them all, let none escape…"

At this moment Night-wing after a bit of struggle had managed to pin Terra down on the ground with his Bo staff, trying to convince her to surrender without a fight.

"oooh I love a dominant heartthrob… unfortunately you're not my type….."

With that in mind Terra manipulated the ground once more to launch a small projectile that flung itself towards Night-wing's head knocking him out of breath for a while and in the process cutting her cheek drawing a small amount of blood. Noticing that the rest of the Teen Titans held a few armed H.I.V.E guards at bay she turned her attention to their mistress.

"hey… hope you haven't forgot about me"

Terra using a bigger portion of her strength managed to shake the foundation of the mistress's throne to collapse it and trap the mistress among the rubble, with the mistress pleading for mercy, Terra decided to collapse a big portion of the roof hanging above the mistress's head, burying her in piles of debris.

"always knew you were a stone cold bitch… guess I underestimated on how much of a sociopath you are….."

The one who said it was none other than Death-Stroke wielding his trusty Claymore sword in his right hand, a Colt 45 sidearm in his left and an M-16 assault riffle strapped to his back, ready to take her one on one.

"well I can't take all the credit… I had a fine teacher who refined what I already had"

Terra was the first to launch the attack reforming the ground around her to act as a makeshift suit of armor with a mace like weapon to bludgeon Death-stroke head in, he on the other hand had his enhanced reflexes on his side and his weapons to try and chip away Terra's armor as he tried to skewer the double crossing bitch inside.

On the Titan's side of things Raven subdued most of her attackers leaving the ones to evade her attacks to flee for their lives, with them out of the way she could concentrate on more important issues.

"Night-wing are you alright?!"

Night-wing in turn groaned a little while doing his best to fight off some more armed guards.

" I'll live… make sure the H.I.V.E mistress is still among of the living… to all other Titans make sure none of the other members go too far"

"on it chief" came Kid Flash's voice who made quick work of the goons trying their best to pin him down, in an instant he rounded up at least two dozen unconscious H.I.V.E members, with Starfire flying off to capture some more, while Cyborg and Wonder Girl dealing with their own share of enemies, Beast boy surprisingly was no where to be seen.

The fight between Death-Stroke and Terra raged on and led both of them further into the compound, with Terra clearly trying to make it towards a staircase, heading to the roof, however Death-Stroke did his best to make sure she couldn't move a couple of yards before engaging him in battle, both finding themselves bruised in a number of places both at the shoulders and thighs.

"giving up you old goat?…. we both know you can't keep it up all day"

Death-Stroke didn't say a word he only lunged at Terra and discharged a bullet from his side arm aimed for her shoulder, luckily enough she managed to deflect the barrel at the last minute, grazing her shoulder, pleased to see her in more pain he finally replied.

"you talk when you should shoot"

At this moment death-Stroke felt a jolt at his back sending him a few feet across the room, that jolt came from the feet of a green kangaroo, said kangaroo transformed into the form of Beast boy.

"couldn't say it better myself"

"my hero" Terra replied going in to hug the green Titan only to see a hard line forming around his face.

"shut up you're going to prison"

Stopping and posing midway Terra was left awestruck and dumbfounded before she could respond with.

"funny… haven't we danced this dance before?"

Beast boy didn't reply he only kept on moving towards her with his high tech cuffs still in his hands after he got freed, leaving Terra only to think.

' I'm in deep shit'

With that Terra took off in the opposite direction forgetting about reaching the roof, not knowing exactly where to go she hoped that somewhere in this building there was a secured room she could fortify herself in.

'think Terra think….. there has to be a solution to this… wait a minute I still have the security footage… now all I need is a computer terminal, but where will I find it?… right… there are computer terminals on the floor above the podium….'

Having set her mind on that plan Terra made a B-line towards Beast boy, who at this point was still chasing her, noticing the change he tried to grab her, only for Terra to slide beneath his legs and kicking his nuts in the ensuing confusion.

Breathing heavily Beast boy could only struggle to stand up as he muttered.

"not only she fucked me in the ass, this bitch had the balls to go after my macadamias….. could this get any worse?"

With that Beast boy opened his eyes only to be confronted with a H. security guard pointing a rifle towards his head, only to see a gunshot escapefrom the guards forehead, dropping dead on the ground the shooter revealed himself to be none other than Death-Stroke.

A few moments of silence went by until Death-Stroke spoke up.

"well are you going to get up and keep on fighting? Or are you waiting for another enemy to do you in?"

Beast boy still a little confused took a bit of time before answering.

"well not that I'm complaining, but I thought I am the last person you'd want to save"

As Death-Stroke walked away and made his exit he replied without looking back.

"it's a basic principal, the enemy of my enemy"

Before Beast boy could say anything further Death-Stroke vanished into thin air like a spectre, with him all possible further answers, so rather than get confused even more Beast boy reminded himself that he still needed to catch up to Terra and kept on running.

Back with the Titans, where Beast boy's family and friends were, each of them were being overrun with H.I.V.E security guards and agents coming back as reinforcements, so without thinking Beast boy transformed himself into a leopard and began biting and clawing into the enemy, making sure to incapacitate them without going overboard coincidentally killing them, from all his friends Night-wing spoke up.

"thanks for the save… where were you?"

Beast boy answered without flinching.

"chasing after Terra… any of you guys know where she ran off to?"

Wonder Girl chose to speak up.

"i saw her heading to a security post on the floor above muttering to herself as usual…..wait a minute you're not gonna do anything stupid are you?"

Beast boy answered in a matter of fact tone.

"nothing as stupid as letting her escape"

With that he transformed into a pigeon and flew off.

Wonder Girl opened her mouth to suggest something but Kid Flash beat her to the punch.

"ten steps ahead of you."

With that he raced off after Beast boy, making sure he's not biting more than he could chew, speaking of biting, that's what terra was doing, well in a figurative sense, anyway, she was currently manipulating her powers to fight of some H.I.V.e security forces who were currently firing at her from all directions, she transformed the rocks around her into sharp projectiles throwing them at the guard who was flanking her front, killing him instantaneously, while for the guards flanking her right and left side she caused the ceiling to collapse on them, crushing their bones and bodies to dust, and for the guard trying to get her from behind she used her powers to fling a rock at him at such high speeds that she practically decapitated him, spitting at their corpses Terra made her way to the security console with an intent to release the footage she had of her, Beast boy and Rose.

"now where should I send it?…. Bethany Snow?, that bitch wouldn't know what to do with the footage….. the general public….. that's even better… that would crush Beast boy's spirit even more, making him putty in my hands….. then again….. it could make him a martyr… ohhh there's an idea… send it to the Justice League… extort a few millions from them, and spend the remainder of my life on an island of my choosing… better yet buy the whole island."

With that plan set in mind she made her way over to the computer terminal before realizing something.

"oh fuck I never got the chance to grill them about any information on the Justice League… oh well onto plan B"

As she began logging in to the internet, fishing out a USB driver in the process, Beast boy has already managed to catch up with her.

"Terra!, stop right there and turn around….. now"

Terra a little surprised turned around to confront Beast boy, manipulating the earth to make small rock projectiles.

"oh honey….. where was that dominance while we were dating?"

Beast boy with a resolve made of steel just said.

" did I stutter?, I said turn around…."

Terra losing all of her joking mood responded angrily and bitterly.

"you must be some kind of an idiot… I've got your balls in a vice grip, you see the thumb drive in my hand?"

Beast boy heaves no attention to her as he drew even closer.

"one more step and you can kiss your superhero career goodbye"

Beast boy only slightly smirks as he response while Kid Flash snatches the thumb drive from Terra's hands while she doesn't notice.

"that's just it, it's not a job for me that's who I am."

Terra has only now notice either Kid Flash or that the thumb drive wasn't in her hands which brought her to the boiling point. With anger consuming her she tried bringing harm to both Titans, only to notice a second later that her hands were cuffed with the same high tech cuffs that the Teen Titans were wearing not long ago.

"YOU SON'S OF BITCHES….."

Beast boy and Kid Flash ignored the temper tantrum Terra gave as they approached her both from either sides while escorting her to where the rest of the Teen Titans were, downstairs Starfire, Cyborg, Wonder Girl and Night-wing were securing the defeated H.I.V.E operatives while Raven did her best to treat the wounded H.I.V.E mistress.

"you can't save her you pathetic little dyke…. I made sure to give her the best treatment this bitch deserves"

Night-wing ignoring what the mouthy traitor said, acknowledged Beast boy and Kid Flash.

"did she give you any trouble?"

Kid Flash and Beast boy responded the same.

"she tried…. and failed"

An air of relief surrounded all of them except for Raven.

Raven at this point and time tended to the wounds of the H.I.V.E mistress but as much as Raven hated to admit defeat, she had to by this point.

"she's right Night-wing…. there are too many wounds to heal, it's overwhelming even for me….. all I can do is keep her stable long enough to get her to a hospital"

Night-wing replied in a solemn manner.

"that would be more than enough…. plus, we'll make sure Terra will be convicted of murder"

Terra overhearing this just smirked to herself as she caught Death-Stroke in the corner of her eye, setting up in a sniper position on the highest floor opposite of the Teen Titans, thinking to herself.

'not fucking likely'

With Death-Stroke, in his snipping position.

" Wintergreen, is my platoon up and raring to go?"

Over the comm Wintergreen replied.

"already on their way lieutenant -colonel, however E.T.A will be 10- 15 minutes….. so there's no real option except to stall"

Death-Stroke not surprised by that, gave his reply as he reached out for a smoke grenade.

"message received and understood."

Tossing the grenade, he prepared his M-16 for a fire fight as Beast boy and the rest of the Titans took notice of the grenade.

"hit the deck…"

And with the commotion ensued, the battle with Death-Stroke recommenced as the Teen Titans prepared for a fight, while Terra saw her chance to escape her captors.

As the smoke grenade exploded Death-Stroke took aim and shot Night-wing, Cyborg and Kid Flash in the shoulders, hitting all three of them, using the speed force, Kid Flash managed to phase out the bullet from his shoulder while getting Night-wing and Cyborg's bullets the same way, in the meantime Wonder Girl and Starfire formed a defensive perimeter around the wounded Titans as Raven kept tending to the H.I.V.E mistress and Beast boy kept a close eye on the both of them.

Amid the confusion Terra took the chance to destroy the cuffs by bashing them several times against the compound's wall until it malfunctioned, once free she took off towards the inner caves and towards the helipads, Beast boy noticed straight away and began running.

"cover me… Terra's escaping…"

With that both Starfire and Night-wing acknowledged at they decided to take the battle to Death-Stroke, with Night-wing sluggishly took Starfire's grip as she raise him towards where Death-Stroke was.

"give it up Slade you're finished….."

Death-Stroke smirked under his mask as he replied, switching for hand to hand combat.

" I'll decide when I'm finished if you don't mind"

With that both started to strike each other and block respectively as Starfire tried the best to her ability to send a star bolt that would knock Death-Stroke unconscious or at least give a warning shot strong enough that would compel him enough to surrender, thinking to herself in the process.

'oh I do at time's curse my innate sense of nobility'

In the meantime Beast boy was catching up to Terra as a platoon of androids with Death-Stroke's design motif on them were a couple of miles away, fast approaching.

'good the cavalry is arriving, now to keep the Titans at bay for a little longer'

"hold it right there Terra."

Terra turning around scowled at Beast boy as she told him off.

"get it through your fucking skull….. loving you was nothing than a pet project… even if you did all that I would say and ask for, I'd still dump you if I felt It was getting boring to me."

Beast boy only gave an ironic smirk.

"you know what?….. I believe you"

With that Terra looked like something snapped inside of her as she started using her powers to hurdle rocks at Beast boy in an attempt to crush him while he transformed into various animals trying to dodge the attacks and subdue Terra.

Meanwhile with the fight between death-Stroke and Night-wing, both combatants came for the second time to a stalemate as Starfire still couldn't get a perfect shot, with now Night-wing starting to get suspicious.

"if I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to stall for some reason"

Death-stroke still keeping up only responded with the following.

"as a matter of fact….. I am."

At that precise moment Death-Stroke's robotic platoon stormed the compound, catching the Teen Titans by surprise as Starfire and Night-wing had to break off the fight with Death-Stroke to provide cover for the rest of the team leaving Death-Stroke to his own devices, which at the moment was kill the treacherous Terra.

'predictable as ever…..'

With that Death-stroke gave chase knowing exactly on where he could find his former accomplice.

Back with Terra and Beast boy.

"don't you ever give up…. you poor excuse for a slime?"

Beast boy could only joke.

"oh wow, is this the best you got?… how about you say it like you mean it."

With that said and done the fight between them just prolonged longer and longer with either of them taking a clear advantage, when the death-Stroke droids finally crashing that little party, beginning to attack the rest of the Teen Titans, beast boy understood the subtle hint as he tried to wrap up the fight.

"well as much as I love dancing with blue eyed blondes, how about I'll kick your ass really quick so I can help my actual friends?"

Terra at that moment stopped completely, releasing her powers and letting the earth she was manipulating fall back from whence it came, only to feel a stream of tears run across her face, though they weren't tears of sadness but of pure unfiltered rage.

"you're dead meat Gar Logan"

As fast as one could blink Terra once again summoned her powers, this time however she didn't hold anything back, manipulating the earth around her into at least 15 tendrils with only one goal in mind, crush and bury Beast boy so no one else could eve find his corpse, however at this precise moment a shocking surprise fell upon Beast boy and Terra especially, without so much as a warning three shots screamed as they left Death-Stroke's Colt 45's chamber and lodged themselves in a nice grouping inside Terra's stomach and abdomen.

"Gar… help me…."

Beast boy looking her at shock that turned quickly into disappointment could only respond with the following.

" I'll get you help….. only because you don't deserve a quick death"

With Terra not responding Beast boy contacted the only Titan that was currently available at the moment.

"Beast boy to Kid Flash, come in… Terra's down, she's been shot, I could really use the help"

Kid Flash didn't answer instead he quickly arrived at Beast boy's side, not saying a word he phased his hand through Terra's stomach to fish out all of the bullets being lodged there.

Seeing Kid Flash making quick work of the problem Beast boy asked Kid Flash to watch over Terra, as he in turn went back into the battle field to dispatch the Death-Stroke droids and save his friends, for that he transformed into a Velociraptor and quickly ran into battle, dispatching the robots with his sharp maws, transforming back into human form he collapsed on his knees from exhaustion, Starfire was quick to catch him as she questioned.

"Beast boy… thank you for coming to our aid, now where are the whereabouts of Terra?"

Beast boy catching his breath just replied with.

"she's been shot….. she needs first aid really bad"

Night-wing pitched in trying to calm him down.

"how bad is it Beast boy?"

At this point Kid Flash came running in, having left Terra unattended for a few moments.

"it's really bad…. three bullets wounds to the stomach… all fatal shots"

Night-wing without hesitation turned his attention to Raven.

"Raven…. how's the H.I.V.E mistress holding up?"

Raven responded solemnly to the question directed at her.

" I did my best to keep her alive… however she died of shock… I'm sorry."

Night-wing not pleased, yet not angry at her just asked in a matter of fact manner.

"can you save Terra?"

Raven steeling herself just answered the following.

" I don't have a choice but to give it a shot."

Kid Flash and Beast boy let the rest of the Teen Titans to where Terra was currently laying in pain and agony, Raven was the first of them to arrive immediately trying to heal her at the risk of exhausting herself.

"who removed the bullets?"

Kid Flash feeling like he did something rash, just raised his arm slowly as he said.

"i did…"

At that Raven thanked him as he tried to be of aid to her as much as possible, the process itself took agonizing minutes up to at least an hour, until Raven finally stopped working as she said.

"she'll live but she needs proper medical treatment, cyborg…"

Cyborg however cut her off.

"way ahead of you on that one… our ride will be here in a few short minutes."

Night-wing pitched in.

"in the meantime myself, Starfire and Wonder Girl will alert the authorities about the criminals we caught and the casualties we've suffered."

In the meantime Terra was catching on to the conversation that happened and at the back of her mind she formulated one last desperate attempt of escape.

"Beast boy….. I have something to tell you…"

Reluctantly Beast boy crouched towards Terra as she began to whisper in his ear.

"if I can't have you… then nobody else will…."

Terra at this point summoned what remained of her powers and began a massive earthquake around the Teen Titans, this earthquake shook the compound to it's core, making the walls and ceiling to collapse on each other, thinking fast Kid Flash delivered the Titans and the rest of the survivors one by one outside of Terra's power range while Terra herself got buried under the debris of the building and the mountain surrounding it, crushing herself to death, leaving Beast boy shocked and speechless as he witnessed the collapse.

It took a while for everyone a bit of time to process what has just happened, especially Beast boy who just stood a few feet from the crash sites frozen in total shock, however, once he regained control back of his body, running straight back towards the danger zone, though oddly enough Raven and Kid Flash stopped him dead in his tracks.

"please….. let me go…. I have to save her….. please…. I need to save her…"

Both Raven and Kid Flash used the exact same words to soothe him.

" we know….. but in this state you can't save anyone…. let us do it"

With that both Kid Flash and Raven navigate through the ruble while the local police and paramedics arrived on the scene while Night-wing and Starfire dealt with them directly.

"would any one like to give a statement before the press swoops in like vultures?"

Night-wing and Starfire responded to the Colorado police man who asked the question.

"well office we were ambushed kidnapped and nearly tortured by a secret society of crooks with deep ties to the government… does this sums it up?"

Looking over to the survivors in the weird attire the police man simply asked.

"and you saved all of them?!"

Night-wing responded gravely.

"most of them…. some have died in the process… some are still missing"

The officer seeing that the Teen Titans, while out of their jurisdiction, were still potential victims of something way above his pay grade to even try and understand had this to say.

"good work… all of you, now report to the paramedics for further treatment, that's an order."

Out of the ruble Raven and Kid Flash came back with Terra's body, mangled and bloodied beyond recognition which caused Beast boy to collapse to the ground, starting to shed tears, some of anger, some of frustration, most of them though were of pure sadness. With Kid Flash resting Terra's body down Raven knelt down near Beast boy and slowly but surely embraced Beast boy in a comforting hug.

"she hurt you, violated you and nearly succeeded in killing you, yet still you weep for her…"

Beast boy sniffling between his tears and almost chocking on his words has finaaly managed to respond.

" I know…. it doesn't make any sense."

Squeezing him even tighter Raven whispered her response so only he could hear it.

"it actually does… and that's what I love about you."

As the paramedics and the local police did their jobs with the help of the Teen Titans, the arrangements for Terra's body were made so she would be flown back to Jump City for a proper burial as the Titans themselves were already on the road towards home, the drive was eerily quiet since the Teen Titans didn't know whether to celebrate their narrow escape from death or to mourn one of the individuals who caused it to begin with, not to mention there was an issue on how to handle the ordeal, either tell the truth and desecrate the memory of the dead or compromise themselves by lying all for the sake of keeping a person's dignity intact.

Back home at Titan's tower.

The team finally got home after the long journey, knowing there won't be any time to rest, either from the crooks still roaming the city or the media outlets picking up on the story that unfolded for the last few days, honestly to the Titans at this point, there were no distinctions between the groups.

"guys I'm heading to my room…. I need to be alone for a while"

With that Beast boy left the group without another word, not that he had the energy for a full blown conversation to begin with.

Night-wing wrapped his arm around Starfire while saying for the both of them.

"i think Beast boy got the right idea see you in a while"

Night-wing's room, a little while later.

Night-wing and Starfire were both laying in bed not bothering to change clothes as Night-wing, now removing his mask to reveal Richard Grayson, made a call over his laptop to his father and old mentor.

"well that's a relief."

Batman or rather Bruce Wayne had shown up on screen releasing his breath without making any extra or out of place facial expression or body movement while Richard responded.

" I would've said 'don't look surprised' but I'm not in a joking mood, I called because I… we need your advice."

Batman quickly deduced.

"it's about the death of Tara Markov."

For once Night-wing sighed in relief, knowing his mentor and father keeps a close eye on him, silently thanking him for him being the world's greatest detective, however this next response caught him off guard.

"no…. I will not tell you or advise you on what to chose… moments like this are the greatest test to a man's or a woman's character… besides in the end it doesn't come down to your choice….. it should come down to the one's who were closest to her."

Sighing in agreement Night-wing signed off with.

"don't be a stranger… I miss you old man."

Batman at that gave him a rare genuine smile before ending with.

"now Starfire I haven't forgotten or ignored you….. keep up the efficient work"

Ending the transmission Night-wing said with pride in his voice.

"he's warming up to you."

Meanwhile across the tower Raven felt Beast boy's rage boiling over like a volcano ready to irrupt, to add to that would be the fact that the whole tower could hear him screaming his head off, Raven waited a while so that Beast boy's fits would pass before teleporting herself from the tower's roof to outside his door, waiting a little bit longer she knocked at his door and after a little while the door slid open as she came in.

"care to explain why you're acting like an animal?"

Beast boy now laying on his bed still wearing his uniform answered without lifting his head from his pillow.

"gee where to start?!"

Kneeling next to him Raven simply stated.

"try breathing first… it would clear up your mind."

Beast boy did what was suggested to him, breathing in and out slowly and after a little while he finally resumed speaking.

" I am angry at myself…. not only I let a complete bitch spin my head around…. I also let her take advantage of me…. and the best thing is, because of my stupidity, I've compromised the team…"

Listening carefully Raven replied with the next follow up question.

"what do you mean?"

Breathing in and out again Beast boy continued the conversation.

" we can't keep this incident under wraps forever…. eventually the truth will come out to the public…. how can we claim to be the heroes who protect them if we failed to protect ourselves…. I mean thanks to me being an idiot, I've allowed a psychopath or a sociopath or whatever to enter into our lives…."

At this point Raven simply stood up and smacked beast boy right on his cheek.

" don't get me wrong….. it's wonderful that you acknowledge your faults while taking responsibility, but you have to take your own responsibilities… Terra decided to bite the hands that fed her…. Terra decided she wanted to betray and kill us…. that was all on her"

With that Raven instructed Beast boy to lie still as she healed him, except for the bruise she left on his cheek.

A few days have past and by that time Terra's body has been sent to be laid for rest, in that period of time the Teen Titans agreed that the truth about her should be revealed to the immediate parties involved, while for the public it would be revealed gradually as to not make a big scandal or cause any unwanted attention. As for Beast boy himself, he checked himself into a hospital to see what the damage was with him, fortunately enough for him the physical damage was minor yet the psychological damage was very much present.

At Terra's funeral the priest's prayer rang hollow at Beast boy's and the attendants mind's which consistent of the Teen Titans, Geo Force, Terra's half Brother and active Justice League member, Batman, Wonder Woman and Silas Stone, Cyborg's father. As each Titan gave his own eulogy, it finally came Beast boy's turn.

" there's a Jewish saying that says, "you save one life and you've saved a thousand worlds…. the thing is as to Tara's final moments… she didn't want to be saved guy who got to know her the most… she lived for the moment rather than the future… so though she took her own life, we'll honor her with a statue, not only to remind us of the loss of life, but to remind us why we hold the ideals that makes every last one of us heroes in our own rights….. so as for final words, goodbye Terra/Tara I hope you found what you were looking for."

As the funeral came to an end with Terra's/Tara's coffin finally laying in the ground, a tombstone with the following inscription was erect, the inscription was written as followed.

'here lies Tara Markov, a life and potential cut too short'

Back at the tower the teen Titans spent the entire wake being kept company by their guests, even Batman stayed for a few days to everyone's surprise, a couple of days later batman was having a chat with Night-wing in Titan's kitchen.

"Bruce, don't take it the wrong way but Gotham will need Batman again soon enough."

Batman/Bruce Wayne looked over to the living room seeing that Beast boy was laying motionless on the couch while the TV was still running.

"you know that I wouldn't leave Gotham without a fail safe."

Night-wing looked over to where his mentor kept watch, asking without fail.

" I know that look… something's bothering you… what is it?"

Batman answered without flinching.

"it's Beast boy… he'll need extensive therapy… are you sure you can provide it for him?"

Night-wing gave a small sigh before replying with.

"it would be foolish to be overly confident… but as the case with our shared history…. the right people at the right time will help him pull through."

Batman just nodded silently saying 'agreed'

After a few moments the Titan's alarm went off causing Night-wing to head off to ops room but not before saying.

"let's meet next time on a more happier occasion… I trust you know…."

But before he could finish that sentence Batman vanished into thin air causing Night-wing to chuckle thinking to himself.

'well now I know how commissioner Gordon feels.'

Now passing over Beast boy Night-wing asked him with a stern yet somewhat sympathetic tone.

"feel you up for a bit of crime fighting?"

Beast boy simply got up while answering.

"honestly I'm not entirely sure, but I could use the exercise"

Night-wing gave him a look that said good enough as both teens now ran towards the titan's ops room.

"Cyborg….. talk to me what are we dealing with now?"

Cyborg while checking the computer answered non nonchalantly.

"oh you know… the usual bank heist, led by….. our favorite little asshole Gizmo."

Night-wing allowed himself a small laugh at how Cyborg made that comment as he and Starfire in unison rallied the team into action.

At the crime scene, downtown Jump.

Gizmo was currently walking out the bank with another two accomplices, Mammoth and Shimmer, each carrying two heavy briefcases full of cash in each arm as the Teen Titans were fast approaching on their tail.

"10% extra to your shares if you pound those dumb ass Titans into the ground."

Mammoth made himself heard surprising everyone.

"15% percent each you mean"

Gizmo replied impatiently noticing that the local authorities were converging on their locations.

"fine 15%…. just do something about them you dumb fucks"

With that Gizmo made a run for it as the Teen Titans were arriving at the scene engaging Mammoth and Shimmer, all except one, Beast boy who in turn was chasing Gizmo in hot pursuit, Gizmo at this point while running was expecting Beast boy to throw a dumb remark but Beast boy kept quiet as he kept on chasing him down the street.

"what's the matter loser?where's that blonde bitch you were swooning over?"

At that Beast boy shot daggers at him as he turned mid run into a vicious rottweiler speeding up quickly catching up to Gizmo who unfortunately for him hit a dead end.

"oh shit…."

Meanwhile the rest of the Teen Titans have already dealt with Mammoth and Shimmer, leaving them to the police as they gave chase after Gizmo.

However when they eventually found Gizmo, he was found horribly scratched, beaten and bitten to the point of unconsciousness with Beast boy turning back to human form spitting small bits of flesh from his mouth as small trails of blood trickled from his jaws and hands, Night-wing quickly addressed Raven as the rest of the Teen Titans had to recollect themselves from being stunned.

"get him some medical care until the EMT arrives….. as for me I'm gonna chew out Beast boy for this."

Signaling for Beast boy to follow him the green teen in question surprisingly offered little to no resistance or rebellion.

"tell me something, did 'needing some exercise' is a new code term for beating a criminal half to death?, cause if it's not….. what the hell is wrong with you?"

Beast boy on the other hand just kept silent, not bothering to defend himself, make justification or excuses, instead he kept his silence for a few more minutes before answering quietly.

"no matter what I say now or do I'm screwed anyway, thanks for caring though….."

Night-wing at this point tried his best to keep his composure as he understood quickly what Beast boy was thinking.

"let me make this clear…. I'm benching you from the team, and by that you're being placed under house arrest….. now return back to the group while I arrange Cyborg to accompany you back."

With that both Night-wing and Beast boy returned back to the group all the while Beast boy restrained a yell that was trying to escape realizing now what he's done now that he saw what he actually did to Gizmo.

Back at Titans tower with Beast boy and Cyborg.

As Beast boy was being lead to his room by Cyborg, the cybernetic teen couldn't help but ask.

"what were you thinking?, did you really think kicking the crap out of Gizmo would prove anything or help in any way?"

At this Beast boy began sobbing not caring that it made a racket.

Cyborg at that tried to calm his best friend down by telling him to let it all out, after a while Beast boy resumed talking.

" I….. I ….. I… I'm so sorry, I tried to deal with what happened the best I could….. but I can't stop feeling angry and hurt….."

Cyborg layed his hand on Beast boy's shoulder saying.

"you don't have to say anything…. I understand you…. I felt it all before…. now let's get you back to your room, you still have to serve some time while the rest of us figure out what's the best course to help you."

While both teens entered Beast boy's room Cyborg made sure to unplug and block Beast boy's access to the TV, computer and radio set, all the while Beast boy was in deep thinking until he couldn't help it anymore.

"why do any of you try and help me so much?.….. I've been acting as bastard to you as much as Terra has been a bitch…"

Cyborg stopped him right there by saying.

"there is nothing in common with you and that bitch, she chose to treat us like trash, you were a young boy in love… besides we're family, and we should've tried to warn you about her more often, that one's on us as well"

Nodding in understanding Beast boy's stomach began to growl while Cyborg gave him a friendly smile while locking the door to his room.

"stay put and big bro Victor will cook you a nice meal….."

Beast boy raised his head trying to talk while Cyborg shushed him.

" I know….. I know…. no meat….. I'm not your best friend for nothing"

With that Cyborg left for about 30 minutes returning soon after with a plate filled with steamed vegetables with a few slices of bread on the side as appetizers, to which Beast boy thanked him as he ate to his heart content, feeling relieved for once after what seemed like a long while being on edge.

A week later with Night-wing in the ops room.

Night-wing was currently finishing a conversation with Batman regarding the situation with Beast boy's anger problem, without mincing words the conversation carried the tone of 'I told you so' which left Richard/Night-wing a bit miffed at himself when Starfire and Wonder Girl walking into the room.

"have you told him yet?"

Night-wing pinching the bridge of his nose replied as followed.

"told him what?…. sorry old boy, I failed helping you so you'll have to leave for a while?…. or sorry you won't be able to be here while the rest of us hunt Death-Stroke down?"

Starfire chipped in on the matter.

"we all know that ultimately it is the best course of action for friend Beast boy… even district attorney Adrian Chase is in accord."

Giving a small sigh Night-wing continued the conversation.

" I wouldn't put it quite like that, he mostly feels that prosecuting a minor on an aggravated assault charges wouldn't go down well with the public… add to the mix the fact that he suffered all kinds of abuse and the fact he's a well known superhero and we have a PR nightmare on our hands."

Donna/ Wonder Girl who remained quiet and attentive concluded with this.

"just tell him… he won't get upset….. heck, he wished for it to happen"

Night-wing relaxing at this point decided to part ways with the two female Titans as he made his way towards Beast boy's room, once there he began knocking.

"Beast boy I'm coming in…"

As Night-wing went in he found Beast boy laying on his bed in casual wear thinking and staring at the ceiling.

"got a minute?"

Beast boy perking up just gave a small smile saying silently

'sure'

Night-wing made himself comfortable in Beast boy's office chair as he continued.

"first of all, detention is over for you and…."

Beast boy now paying attention gave him the go ahead to continue.

"well I've been talking to Batman, and he offered along with Superman and Wonder Woman to help you train yourself, so that what happened with Gizmo would never happen again… any objections?"

Beast boy slightly smirked at Night-wing as he replied.

"they're not giving me a lot of choices in the matter are they?"

Night-wing continued the conversation as he nodded in agreement.

"in addition, Batman insists that you seek professional help… he'll give you all the info when he arrives to pick you up"

Beast boy for a moment went serious, showing remorse on his face.

"how long will this little trip last?"

Night-wing replied without hesitation.

"it's completely up to you."

Beast boy pretty much understanding the entire situation asked the following question.

"how long do I have to say goodbye to everyone?"

Night-wing just layed his hand on Beast boy's shoulder saying.

"Bruce will be here in a couple of days… still I won't say goodbye cause you will return to us, you understand?"

Beast boy mock saluted Night-wing replying.

"sir yes sir….."

Night-wing couldn't help but laugh, telling Beast boy.

"don't call me sir… I work for a living."

As the air between the two began to relax Beast boy seemed to remember something.

"Night-wing, how Gizmo pulled through?"

Sighing a little, relieved that Beast boy was slowly going back to his usual self just answered.

"well, he'll be pissed at you more than he's already pissed at us Titans, only now he'll carry a few ugly scars to boot"

At this point Beast boy gulped a little with worry when Night-wing assured him.

"don't worry if he tries anything I'll personally kick his teeth in for good measure."

With that Night-wing left Beast boy's room as he passed Raven in the hall.

"go ahead he's all yours."

Raven a little surprised took a moment rolling her eyes saying silently.

'not you too'

Night-wing in return just gave a shrug of his shoulders as he went back to his 'office' to devote some much needed time to track down Death-Stroke, once in his office he was tackled down by Starfire as she started making out with him.

"Richard, I am heading out on patrol.….. I will keep the communication link open"

Smiling between kisses Night-wing asked.

"and to what do I owe this intense show of affection?"

Starfire just grinned at this point.

"because I love you… but I am guessing you already knew that."

A couple of days have passed pretty quickly, it was early in the evening and Night-wing and Beast boy were waiting outside the tower for the Bat-mobile to arrive. Beast boy feeling anxious and a little cold spoke up.

"remind me why we had to make my leaving feel like a cloak and dagger op?"

Night-wing answered with a little smirk on his face.

"and alert the media?"

Beast boy gave him a small nod indicating that he had a point as in the distance the Bat-mobile, a high tech car sharing many similarities with a Lamborghini Miura, was quickly making it's way towards the tower's entrance.

"this is what Batman considers low key?"

Night-wing smirking even wider answered the following.

"well considering he has other models and prototypes….. absolutely."

As the car came to a stop the cockpit section slid backwards to reveal it was unmanned which took Beast boy slightly by surprise while Night-wing huffed a little silently saying about his mentor.

'show off'

For some reason Beast boy couldn't help but feel cautious as he moved nervously towards the Bat-mobile that is until he heard a voice from inside.

'get in.'

Doing just that Beast boy noticed that the voice came from an onscreen computer with Batman's image was front center, Batman however did not initiated a conversation.

"to answer you're questions as follows, yes, we'll have a chance to meet face to face and no, you won't have to touch anything, the car has already locked on to it's destination…"

The monitor has been shut off as the cockpit closed yet again and the Bat-mobile roared back to life, leaving a nun pulsed Night-wing alone at Titans tower's entrance.

The ride to Gotham was long, truth be told though, Beast boy found it perfect as he spent the journey sleeping in cat form, that is until he reached Wayne manor and more importantly the Bat cave, as he was getting out of the bat-mobile, he couldn't help but gawk in awe at the sheer size of the place, not to mention the high tech computers and equipment, some he already seen like the Bat plane, but others were completely new to him.

At this point and time the famous silhouette of Batman came up behind him and quietly observed him as Batman decided to make his presence noted.

"impressive isn't it?"

Beast boy at this point wanted to jump into the air and cling to the wall like a scared cat but he tried his best to restrain himself.

"are you in the habit to greet all of your guests this way?"

Batman stayed silent as Beast boy continued his line of thought

"if it is so….. I wouldn't want to know how you treat your enemies sir….."

At this moment an old English man wearing a butlers attire came into view with a breakfast entree at his side.

"well if I maybe so bold master Logan, you've caught master Wayne in a rare playful mood… now if you'll both acompany me upstairs, breakfast is served."

As Batman/master Wayne stayed silent the whole conversation he eventually gave a slight acknowledgement to his faithful servant and father figure Alfred, as beast boy trailed behind him, all the while a constant thought popped in his head.

'playful?…. really? They call that playful?'

As both Bruce Wayne and Gar Logan/Beast boy exited the secret entrance to the Bat cave they made their way silently towards the kitchen area through a grand dinning room and took their seats in a modest breakfast table, with a small sincere smile from Bruce Wayne came the following words.

"make yourself at home."

Beast boy felt confused to various degrees as he took from the food tray a couple of pieces of waffles as he slowly started to eat, after a while a few questions popped into his head.

" I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but could we stop beating around the bush and talk shop?"

A little surprised Bruce Wayne gave a heart felt laugh as he answered.

"by all means, what would you like to talk about?"

Gar/Beast boy took a deep breath as he tried to word his next question carefully.

"who are you really?, the scary, stoic and non nonsense Batman? Or the easy going billionaire bachelor Bruce Wayne?"

Bruce Wayne/Batman gave a knowing smirk similar to night-wing's as he answered.

"well that depends on the scenario, if Gotham needs it's silent defender then I'm the no nonsense Batman but if the situation requires me hosting guests I'm the easy going Bruce Wayne, any other questions."

Gar/beast boy eased up a little as he replied.

"the only question that matters really…. why do you go out of your way to help me like this?… as far as I know you don't own me anything"

As Bruce Wayne finished his breakfast he swiftly got out of his chair as he began washing his plate.

"with all due respect, you're wrong…. you may not be aware of it just yet, but you helped Richard stay alive all this time while he embarked on his own solo act… and despite what anyone else thinks of me, I'm a man who repays the favor, so here we are having breakfast like old friends"

Deep down inside Beast boy wanted to believe what Bruce Wayne/Batman told him was true, however all the memories of his past failures and the emotions that came with it came back rushing through his mind, at the risk of not breaking down into a crying mess infront of his host, he bit down hard on another piece of waffle, almost biting his tongue in the process.

"if you don't mind Mr. Wayne…. can you point me to the living room, I think I need a little rest."

Sympathetic to the boy's situation, Bruce/batman answered the following.

"sure, but not for too long our training starts at noon sharp"

With that beast boy acknowledged Mr. Wayne as he led Beast boy to a near by living room, once there Beast boy morphed into a guard dog and layed down on the floor, closing his eyes, slightly impressing Bruce/Batman, Alfred at this point came from the rooms upstairs as he addressed master Wayne and Master Logan.

"silly me and here I've gone to the trouble preparing one of our many guest rooms"

Bruce/Batman just gave a silent nod to Alfred while quietly replying.

"he had a long day… plus he'll need his strength, by the way tell Jason to meet me downstairs, you know how he can affect strangers."

Alfred just gave a small sigh, silently saying.

'do I ever… do I ever'

Back at Titans tower, Night-wing's office

Night-wing at this time was glued to his computer combing the internet for any clues on Death-Stroke's whereabouts as Donna Troy/Wonder Girl entered the room.

"don't you knock every once in awhile?"

Wonder Girl replied jokingly.

"should I? from where I'm standing you're perfectly decent"

Night-wing gave a dry laugh as he asked.

"has Speedy…. I mean Arsenal arrived yet?"

 **To be concluded on part 03.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Judas part 03 (finale).

' 3 month….. god it felt like 3 years if I'm honest….. well it doesn't matter I'm on my way home,'

Beast boy was currently flying from Metropolis to Jump City the best way he knew how, flying in a form of a bald eagle in the open air and though he had to make a few pit stops along the way, he finally could see the outline of Titans tower in the horizon. As he flew even closer hhe noticed someone was waiting for him on the roof, that someone was none other than Raven.

"honey I'm home…."

Rolling her eyes she jabbed back.

" oh look the jail bird came back from Alcatraz."

A little confuse Beast boy rolled with the punches with a smirk.

"you do realize that that's what a mother in law would say."

Raven continued the conversation with a small sense of unease due to the chilli weather of course.

"you know I could care less if only it wasn't for the cold winds"

Beast boy at that just smiled warmly as he surprised Raven by embracing her, making her warm in the process.

"oh not to worry dear….. I'm sure you'll make a nice and warm chicken soup"

Picking up on the easy going nature coming off Beast boy Raven replied with.

"oh sure, just as long as you volunteer to be the chicken in question"

At that Beast boy gave a nervous tug at his collar, asking her, no pleading her to tell him she was joking to which Raven gave him a devious smirk as both of them went inside the tower.

As soon as Beast boy Stepped into the living room he noticed it was pitch black inside so he asked Raven the following.

"gee did you forget to pay the electric bill while I was away?"

Before he could get an answer though the lights suddenly flicked on and the teen Titans swarmed Beast boy congratulating and greeting him.

"welcome home Beast boy"

With that beast boy practically jumped out of his skin saying.

"thank god I'm not 100…"

With that Beast boy sat with everyone regaling about his adventures with The Trinity while he in turn caught up with everyone else.

"so let me get it straight, D.A Adrian Chase turned out to be a violent vigilante in secret… called himself The vigilante, and now he was appointed to be a judge?"

Night-wing who caught up Beast boy with the events just answered as followed.

"don't be surprised a lot can happen in 3 months"

Beast boy shrugging in indifference just said.

"actually that sounds sane compared to what we've been through… though I am curious about one thing…"

At this point he turned to face Roy Harper A.K.A Arsenal, the latest member to the Teen Titans family.

"Arsenal?…. so what happened to Speedy now choosing to become a football hooligan?"

At that the Titans in the room had to suppress their laughter all except for Roy who gave Beast boy a light punch in the shoulder silently congratulating him on a well placed jab.

"ouch."

Later that evening Beast boy finally got back to his room, sitting down on his bed he took the sight in, glad that the room was left untouched. At this point Night-wing was passing by to check up with the young changeling.

"so I take it everything went as well as expected?"

Beast boy smiled his genuine smile as he answered.

"yeah, just about…. by the way Bruce and Alfred send you their warm regards."

Night-wing silently said thanks as he moved on to the next topic of the conversation.

"well now to business as usual, I want…"

Beast boy politely cut him off saying.

" I know….. I know… show patience with Death-Stroke… that said however… you know I'm not gonna sit on my ass doing nothing right?"

At that Night-wing thought of a response as he faintly heard Starfire calling him from his bedroom to which Beast boy grinned like a mad man.

"she's expecting you."

At this Night-wing smiled awkwardly.

"please don't jinx it… you know we're both still way too young to start a family."

At that Beast boy started laughing out loud as he got up and patted Night-wing on his back.

"don't worry about old buddy… that's why you have all of us."

At that Night-wing rolled his eyes with a smirk saying.

"that's exactly what I'm afraid of."

With that Beast boy sent Night-wing on his way as he gave a final look at his room while contemplating.

'home sweet home.'

Within a few weeks Beast boy got back into the swing of things stopping super villains, bank robbers, scam artists and even a few televangelists, moreover so he also made time to scour the streets after Death-Stroke's trail and scent in secret, well at least he thought so, cause in that precise moment Night-wing was confronting him.

"you do know there's nothing you can do to stop me from going right?"

Night-wing at that just gave him a shrug while replying.

" I don't want to stop you…. I wanna join you."

To that Beast boy didn't say anything and let the former leader turned second in command/tactician follow him around as his shadow as they both patrolled the city high and low for leads on Death=Stroke's whereabouts, after a few hours both teens reconvened back at Titans tower.

"got lucky out there Night-wing?"

Night-wing feeling quite frustrate took a moment to breathe before replying.

"nothing conclusive…. some say he fled the states, some say he's on the run after kidnapping a local senator…. some even say he was sent to a low level penitentiary for possessing illegal firearms….."

Beast boy thinking to himself had a flash of inspiration for a moment so he tried sharing it with Night-wing.

"say have you tried tracking down next of kin?"

Night-wing nodded in affirmation yet his face clearly showed disappointment.

"first thing that came to mind, unfortunately tracking them proved to be too difficult since they're living completely off the grid."

At this point the tower's security system came to life as some of the monitors in the tower were showing a middle aged brunette woman the Teen Titans having no association with, standing and waiting in front of Titans tower's entrance.

"where we expecting anyone?"

Night-wing deactivated the security system as he went down to greet the unannounced visitor.

"may we help you with something miss?"

The lady now in a polite, yet slight authoritative tone, suggesting a military background, replied with.

" it's not what you can do for me rather it's what I can do for you… mister Grayson"

Unphased Night-wing offered to accompany her in leading her to the tower's living room and without wasting time he got right to the point.

"now that you have our attention explain yourself"

Amused by his tone the woman began explaining.

"well then how do you do gentlemen, my name is Adeline Kane, I was previously married to Slade Wilson, but you know him as Death-Stroke….."

Beast boy chipped in at this moment.

"and let us guess with all due respect, you're offering a way for us to track him down."

Adeline smirked at Beast boy's guess confirming the guess to be correct and with that Night- wing took his turn.

"not to say we're not interested right off the bat but what will it cost us?"

Adeline was too smart as to assume she could pass off as innocent or naive so she cut straight to the point.

"it's my son Joseph… he's gifted like most of you Teen Titans….. so with your permission I would be honored if you'd recruit him into your ranks"

Night-wing and Beast boy looked at each other before giving Adeline their answer.

"it's not up to us alone… plus there's something that confuses us….. and that's why?"

Adeline expected this answer so she offered this as a response.

"well, at the moment I work for a high ranking government agency on a need to know basis, so a stable home environment is something I cannot provide…. his father?, with his influence it's out of the question, so please? Will you consider it?"

With that both parties concluded the conversation with an agreement to discuss the proposal before rendering a final verdict on the matter as both teens escorted Adeline out.

Later that night at Titans tower all current active Titan members were delibirating on the matter, Roy Harper/Arsenal was the first to start the conversation.

"excuse me for being the voice of logic over here but how can any of you be sure that whatever that lady said was actually true?"

Starfire responded as follows.

"well it does seems she cares for her son more than she cares for herself, speaking from experience those kind of sentiments cannot be false."

Raven chipped in next.

"i don't think that's the case… she's purposely leaving out information, how can we work with that?"

At this point and time Beast boy spoke up.

"we're suspicious and I don't blame us… we are not however cynical or cold, so we invite her back so Raven can get a good feel on her, any questions?"

Raven at this point dead panned as everyone remained silent.

"yes, who are you and what have you done with Beast boy?"

Beast boy could only slightly chuckle at that response as he said the following.

" I know I can come off as a joke to everybody…. but come on even jokes operate on some form of logic….. by the way anyone here knows how to contact her?"

Night-wing slightly nodded as he reassured the rest of the Titans that he had a way to contact her.

True to his word Night-wing got in contact with Ms. Kane giving her an affirmative response to her request, within a few days Ms. Kane came back accompanied by a young blonde man with piercing green eyes roughly about the same height of Beast boy, Starfire was the first to greet him.

"hello there, my name is Starfire, on behalf of the Teen Titans we welcome you to Titans tower….. may we learn your name in return?"

The boy in question began to act a bit timid, shy and awkward as he lowered the neck line of his shirt to reveal a perturbing scar on his neck, Adeline wanted to speak for her son however he stopped her as his gaze penetrated hers, his eyes flashed black and green for a few seconds before her voice came back distorted.

'hi…. don't be alarmed… my name is Joseph Wilson, although everyone calls me Jericho… what you witnessed was my power, I can posses people using my gaze.'

Beast boy rather untactful asked the follow up question.

"what's with the scar on your throat?"

Beast boy was about to be slapped upside his head by Raven before Jericho quickly answered.

' I lost my voice when I was very young thanks for my dad's reckless behavior.'

Night-wing chipped in.

"and let me guess you figured the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"

Giving a small friendly smile Jericho answered in response.

'right….. being honest though it's very lonely being who I am, and I would love to make new friends'

With that Jericho left his mother's body as he returned to his own with the Teen Titans all extending their hands for a handshake, a bit later Ms. Kane pulled Night-wing aside for a short conversation.

"before I hold up my end of the bargain, I got one question for you…."

However Night-wing promptly stopped her before she could ask her question.

"forgive me for interrupting but I know what are you going to ask, no I will not use your son as leverage against his father….. we as Titans are above such behavior"

Ms. Kane allowed herself a soft smile as she was remembering a more simpler life.

"spoken like a true English gentleman."

Night=wing gave a small smile of his own.

"well I did live around one for long enough"

With that m.s kane shared every bit of information she had while the rest of the Titans were busy making Jericho feel like at home.

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed safe house with Death-Stroke.

Slade Wilson/death-Stroke was currently occupying himself with physical training, trying to keep his body in pique condition, key word was trying, since he began to slowly notice that in the last few days his strength has started to leave him, his focus getting duller and his body failing him, sweating up a storm he chose to take a small break as Wintergreen entered the room.

"did I catch you in a bad time sir?"

Slade Wilson/ Death-Stroke replied as matter of fact.

"not at all old man, now what do you have to report?"

Without skipping a beat Wintergreen replied that his ex wife and son have contacted the Teen Titans, advising Death-Stroke that they should prepare to move, death-Stroke on the other hand replied with.

"old friend I'm indebted to your service over the years, however we both know we're getting too old for this nonsense."

Wintergreen nodded in approval asking.

"shall I prepare the Death-Stroke droids for battle sir?"

Death-Stroke answered as followed.

"no if something should happen to me, I would love to leave something of value behind."

With Adeline Kane gone and Jericho joining the team, the Teen Titans resumed life in the tower as usual while increasing their training regiment to catch Jericho up to speed with the team's dynamic, and after a few more weeks using ms. Kane's intell night-wing felt confident enough that he located Death-Stroke's latest hideout.

Titan's tower, Ops room , 14:00 pm

Night-wing had called a meeting to discuss a possible plan of attack with the Titans.

"thank you for coming on such short notice…"

Beast boy interrupted with a jab which later earned him Raven's heel on his foot.

"it's not like we had much of a choice"

Night-wing continued onward.

"yes well, as I was saying, for the last few weeks I tracked Death-Stroke's last known whereabouts, and it's time to put an end to it once and for all, so I'll need the following to join me on this mission….. Jericho, Raven and you Beast boy."

Arsenal finished what Night-wing was gonna say.

"and let me guess boss, the rest of us will remain here to defend the city while also being your backup if something goes horribly wrong."

Night-wing gave a nod saying.

"sharp as always Roy"

After everyone agreed with the plan Night-wing concluded the meeting by asking.

"any more questions?"

Beast boy raised his hand asking.

"yeah, to whom are we handing Death-Stroke over when we catch him?"

Surprised a little Night-wing answered without hesitation.

"i contacted the proper authorities before hand…. this meeting is adjourned."

The Teen Titans deployed that very night boarding the T jet towards Death-Stroke's current hideout which took about several hours to reach, in the meantime Death-Stroke was anticipating their arrival so in return he prepped a few Death-Stroke droids as a welcome committee.

"sir are you sure it's a good idea?, perhaps it's more prudent to allow them access to our hideout?"

Death-Stroke answered calmly.

"thanks for the suggestion old friend…. but I'm not going down without a fight"

Wintergreen gave him an understanding nod before he went to make final checks on the Death-Stroke droids, heading upstairs to telephone a lawyer for his master and old friend, a few moments later Death-stroke dispatched his droids into battle.

A few minutes later the Titans engaged the droids in combat with Beast boy and Raven holding down the line while Night-wing and Jericho made their way to the underground hideout.

"you ready Jericho?…. now's your time"

Without a single word Jericho locked his gaze with Night-wing's, making sure he was comfortable in this temporary vessel he continued further down the complex he reached an open doorway with Slade Wilson/ Death-Stroke standing in the distance.

"come on in…. a son shouldn't fear his own father"

Jericho a little dumbfounded asked in return.

'you knew all along?'

Death-Stroke breathed in and out before answering.

"i know I haven't been your father for a while but I'll be damned if I didn't recognize you…. so what was the plan Night-wing, stall me long enough for my son to high jack my body and forcing me to surrender?"

At this point Night-wing and Jericho seperated as Night-wing answered.

" I don't expect you to believe me but since you already lost and buried one son I figured reuniting you with your second born would make you susceptible to reason."

Turning around to face them both Death-Stroke in full body gear minus the mask was getting ready to strike at them both after using his Claymore sword as an improvised crutch.

"well you'll forgive me if I don't want to find reason with the hypocrite who chose to let my son die delusional instead of saving him from certain death"

Before he could lend a strike on Night-wing though Jericho got in the middle of the two shielding Night-wing with his body.

" out of the way son…. I will not warn you again… stand down soldier"

However Jericho did not move he only stared down his father right in the eyes without using the ability of possession, that is until Raven arrived at the scene while Beast boy stood guard at the door.

" please listen to us…. listen to me, I can give you closure with Grant….. and if by the end you'd still want to kill us, that's fair….. however if you try to kill us we will show little mercy…"

Death-Stroke set aside his sword asking in a genuine manner.

" and how can you give me closure?"

Raven didn't utter a single word, she just quietly walked up to Death-Stroke/Slade Wilson and placed the palm of her hands on his temple, within the second he began to feel an intense preasure which made a migraine feel like a needle prick, before he broke away from her touch.

"what in the hell are you trying to accomplish here?"

Raven answered without flinching.

"the pain you felt was the pain the original Ravager felt as his body was collapsing in on itself… if you think I should've saved him I won't make excuses for myself, I only knew at the time that his body could not be healed fast enough… so I gave him a peaceful and dignified death…. and yes, I feel that pain everyday"

A while later the fighting seized completely, while Death-Stroke allowing the Titans to capture him, arrest him and handing him off to the authorities to be judged at a later date, causing Beast boy to ask Night-wing.

"is it just me or was that too easy?, even by our standards?"

Night-wing answered the following.

"i don't know what to say but if he tries anything we'll be ready to stop him"

A few days have passed quickly and in the meantime Death-Stroke/ Slade Wilson has already met up with his lawyer, a fellow named Marko to discuss their defense pretrial.

" I believe my assosiate Wintergreen has brought you up to speed?"

Marko simply answered the following.

"not to worry…. you don't pay me handsomely for nothing."

At that Slade Wilson kept quiet as he finished his meeting being led up to his cell, after being denied posting bail.

The trial of Death-Stroke, day 01.

"all rise, Jump's criminal court now in session judge Adrian Chase presiding"

With that judge Adrian Chase headed quietly to his seat, contemplating the weight of the case being presented in front of him, today his violent past comes to roost, being a former vigilante himself.

In quiet Slade wilson and his attorney had the following conversation.

"you ready Marko? Everything's covered?"

His lawyer answered as followed.

"i can assure you it won't be a pleasant affair."

Nodding Slade only thoughts were.

'as expected'

With the trial rolling on ahead Marko made his case to the judge, quickly followed by the prosecution.

"the state will attempt to prove that Slade Wilson is the mercenary known as The Terminator…. and that The terminator is guilty of the malicious kidnapping of the heroes known as the Teen Titans…as well as the unlawful and willing destruction of private property in pursuing said kidnapping…. and the possession of an illegal arsenal of weapons for criminal purpose."

Beast boy being a spectator at this trial wanted to interject, he wanted to yell that Slade Wilson/ Death-Stroke was guilty in a whole lot more of criminal acts, however he was stopped by Raven who sat besides them.

"stay calm… stay quiet and let them do their job."

Beast boy just grumbled in protest as Night-wing, Starfire, Wonder girl and Cyborg respectfully entered the court.

A few days later, first witness, Wonder Girl.

As Wonder girl took to the witness stand Marko, Slade Wilson's lawyer quickly objected.

" objection your honor, I cannot allow these vigilantes testify in court when they refuse to give us their true names"

The judge in return quickly countered.

" objection overruled. The ruling in "joker vs The Batman" case made it acceptable a proven masked crime fighter's need for the preservation of a personal identity, even in the court of law.

The prosecution's lawyer thanked the judge as he went about addressing his witness.

"thank you your honor. You have met the defendant, Slade Wilson, when he called himself by another name, have you not?"

Wonder Girl gave a small nod as she answered.

" I have, he called himself The Terminator."

" and how do you know that?" the prosecution's lawyer continued.

" we fought and encountered him in battle a few times before our kidnapping, in addition we received solid intell from a former associate of his, the late Tara Markov."

The prosecution's lawyer satisfied concluded with.

" no more questions your honor but I reserve the right to recall the witness."

In the stands Starfire asked why were the lawyers repeating information already known to them when night-wing, out of respect to the court, whispered that he would explain it to her later.

Judge Chase agreed to the lawyers request as he commenced the trial.

"defense?"

Marko , now having his turn, held a photograph in his hand as he approached the witness.

" Mr. Wilson is accused of yours and your fellow Titan's kidnapping, was he personally there when this kidnapping occurred?"

Wonder Girl answered truthfully.

"not in person, his protege did most of his dirty work."

Marko nodded as he continued.

"can you remind to the court who was this protege of his?"

Knowing where this was going Wonder Girl cursed herself for falling to this kind of trap before answering.

"Tara Markov."

Marko didn't say a word he simply headed over to Wonder Girl and placed the photograph on the witness stand.

" this is a photograph of The Terminator is it not?"

"it is." Wonder Girl answered as Marko lifted the photograph for everyone in the courtroom to see.

" and The terminator wears a full body costume, including a mask is he not?"

Wonder Girl reluctantly agreed before he further continued.

" can you be certain that Slade Wilson is the man in this Terminator costume when he Kidnapped you and your fellow Titans?"

Wonder Girl now a little on edge answered trying to hide any nervous ticks.

"according to the intell we received, who else could he be?"

At that Marko quickly countered.

"intell allegedly delivered to you by all means a double crosser."

Wonder Girl countered back rather impatiently.

"yes, however Tara Markov was….."

Before she could continue Marko cut in.

" no further questions you honor"

Judge Chase at this point banged his gavel declaring.

"court will take a 30 minutes recess, all rise."

30 minutes later, with Night-wing on the witness stand.

Marko having first crack on the witness wasted no time questioning him.

"Mr….. Night-wing, you were held captive by The Terminator weren't you?"

Night-wing responded, trying to correct the lawyer in question.

"not just me… my teammates as well….."

Marko however was quick to cut him through.

"a simple yes or no answer is suffice"

At this point and time the prosecution's lawyer made his disdain clear.

"objection your honor, is there any point to the defense line of questioning outside of being argumentative and/or badgering towards the witness?"

Chase at this point made direct eye contact with Marko.

"he has a point…. now get to yours, objection sustained."

Marko cleared his throat, making his irritation in his voice clear.

"as I was trying to say, you were held captive by my client allegedly, your team also claim that your team came into physical and verbal contact with him, correct?, can you describe is voice?"

Night-wing answered without a hint of hesitation.

"though it was heavily masked his voice clearly matched your client's profile"

Marko wasn't happy by the answer he got, however he didn't relent.

"and at any time did you see The Terminator without his face mask?"

Night-wing a little miffed at the idea of falling into such trappings had no choice but to answer.

"no never."

Marko at his end concluded.

"so you can't identify his voice and you never saw his face. Can you swear beyond a shadow of a doubt that Slade Wilson was the man who held you and your team prisoners?"

Night-wing couldn't give a positive answer which left the Titans a little shell shocked as judge Chase adjourned the court for the day with the trial resuming the next day.

Death-Stroke's trial, day 02, Night-wing's testimony.

The very next day Night-wing was called again to testify by the prosecution's lawyer.

" Night-wing, in your opinion, can there be more than one man acting as The Terminator?"

Night-wing refreshed from yesterday's events answered calmly and evenly.

" dressed as The Terminator- yes, acting like The Terminator- definitely not."

The prosecution's lawyer continued his line of questioning.

" as a recognized expert on masked adventurers, you can say that with certainty?"

Night-wing gave yet another positive answer as Slade Wilson's lawyer interrupted with a slight edge in his voice.

" I object, Night-wing is giving an opinion, not a fact."

Judge Chase overruled that objection stating that Night-wing was sworn as an expert witness, allowing the prosecution to continue with it's line of questioning.

" how can you be certain of your statement?"

Feeling a little bit better than yesterday, Night-wing answered with an apparent self confidence.

"through intell received by his former associate Tara Markov, later reinforced by Mr. Wilson's ex wife and army advisor, Wilson received his special powers through a military experiment, meaning his abilities aren't natural and therefore no ordinary man can duplicate them."

Marko at this point made his objection clear.

" objection your honor, given that Tara Markov has been deceased for a long while and Mrs Wilson is at the moment nowhere to be found, Night-wing's testimony is based on third-person hearsay and is not admissable."

Judge Chase had to agree to which the prosecution quickly recovered.

"no further questions"

Marko at his turn got up ans approached the witness expert with a devilish look in his eyes.

"before I begin your honor, I demand proof that this young man is who he says he is….. namely the leader of the Teen Titans."

Night-wing a bit surprised, expertly managed to hide it while answering.

"firstly, I'm second in command…. more importantly however, I was guaranteed my rights of privacy before testifying here."

Marko however continued with his line of questioning as though nothing could stop him.

" nevertheless in other words we can't be positive you are indeed Night-wing can we?… anyone could wear that costume and wear that mask and claim to be you couldn't they?"

Night-wing quickly and calmly responded.

"there'd be hardly be any point in doing so."

Undeterred Marko continued the conversation.

" nevertheless, it wouldn't be impossible for someone of your height and built to duplicate your uniform, would it?"

Night-wing reluctantly answered.

"no, it's not impossible."

Feeling triumphant Marko hit the final nail in the coffin.

"just as it's possible someone other than Slade Wilson without his abilities disguising himself as The Terminator, Kidnapping you and your team."

Before Night-wing could counter that questions Marko declared that the defense rests.

Late that day, outside the courtroom.

Night-wing was having a conversation with the Titans about what happened and what's likely to happen.

" before you ask Beast boy nothing is hopeless, Death-Stroke will still go to jail and in the meantime we'll dig up some more evidence that hopefully will extend his prison term."

Beast boy apparently wasn't listening, he was too busy sulking at the defeat that's been handed to them by Death-Stroke's lawyer, with only this thought in mind.

'funny, we've battled and defeated super villains, maniacs, crooks and androids….. only to be defeated by a lawyer, a legal criminal…'

A few days later judge Chase came back with a ruling that stipulates that Slade Wilson, not having being proven as The Terminator, could not be charged with the kidnapping and attempted murder of the Teen Titans was still being sentenced to a mandatory year behind bars for possession of illegal firearms.

As judge chase made the ruling the bailiff escorted Slade Wilson outside, passing by the Teen Titans he noticed in particular that Beast boy's stare while neutral were still filled with rage, screaming for justice leaving him with the sense that this isn't over yet.

Raven sensing the tension between the angry teen and the old man was bracing herself for the worst, it's not out of distrust for Beast boy, it was simply put a gross distortion and manipulation of the justice system and yet there was nothing to do about it.

" I commend you for taking it well, I'm a shamed to admit that I can't for once."

Beast boy answered in a low tone speaking under his breath.

" you give me too much credit, I'm not lashing out because if I do that then I'll give this smug bastard the benefit of freedom and the right to be called a martyr."

Surprised by his show of maturity, she silently held his hand, telling him without words that he's not alone in this matter.

Three to four months have passed since the sentencing of Death-Stroke The Terminator and life in Jump City have returned to being fairly normal, the Teen Titans were fighting crimes while Night-wing on occasion kept tabs after new H.I.V.E activity while the rest of the Titans occasionally performed volunteer work as well, in particular Beast boy visiting sick children in the hospital, acting ass one man circus for them.

Titan's tower, 21:00 pm, Beast boy's room.

Beast boy after a hard day of work was now taking a shower as the communicator on his bed blared into life for a quick sec, showing that he received a message, quickly getting out of the shower he read the message.

'Stacey's, 12:00 am tomorrow, be there.'

Beast boy awe struck said to himself.

"funny… Raven doesn't like crowded places…."

A bit suspicious he brought over the message to Night-wing who in turn worked his skill tracking down the source of the message to none other than Slade Wilson.

"what do you think?…. a trap?"

Night-wing nodded his head horizontally saying.

"if he's a free man already with the intent to attack us he would've already… either way take somebody along as backup….. like Raven."

Beast boy blushing a little replied with.

" I have no idea what you mean by that."

Night-wing could only grin back saying silently.

'of course you don't'

With that Beast boy went over to Raven's room to explain her his situation with the hope she'll go along with him.

Stacey's, downtown Jump, 11:50.

Beast boy walked into a diner plucked right out of the 50's as he saw Slade Wilson sitting in the middle booth closest to the window, at that Slade gave him a signal to approach him.

"you're a little early….. I can appreciate a quality like that in a young man."

Beast boy, with as much politeness as he could muster, got straight to the point.

" I'm a hero, you're a villain… I should arrest you not eat lunch with you."

Slade Wilson in a kind yet still stern manner offered him a seat.

" at the moment I'm not being a potential danger to anyone, however I'm hungry at the moment would you like to join me since you already accepted my invitation?"

At that Beast boy sat opposite him as a waitress approached them both, with Beast boy being the first.

"aren't you that cutie Beast boy… my girlfriends and I are your biggest fans."

A little self conscious Beast boy replied.

"thanks….. I'll have a cheese sandwich and a regular coke"

Slade Wilson at hat just ordered a cup of coffee, black, as the waitress went to get their order.

"you called me a villain before. Never thought of myself as that. I'm a mercenary, a soldier for hire with a strict code of ethics."

Beast boy responded with the following.

"does that include corrupting 16 year old girls like Tara Markov?"

Slade Wilson just chuckled as he continued the conversation, sipping his coffee.

" Tara. I found her or rather she found me in chad, she was older than that and already had a reputation."

A few minutes later.

Taking another bite from his sandwich and another sip from his coke Beast boy steeled himself before asking.

"do you really expect me to believe that without proof?"

Slade Wilson said nothing at first, he just sipped from his coffee before finally replying.

" think back….. you're not an idiot Logan maybe you're covering for her because you deny she fooled you….. but you know better"

Beast boy stopped eating at this point, feeling sick to his stomach, he began breathing slowly as he asked the following question.

"what was the nature of your relationship?"

Slade Answered without much as flinching.

"there was none, she used me and I used her. If she didn't die trying killing the both of us, she would've died doing something else."

At that Slade took a pause to ponder his next words carefully as the same waitress from before went by them serving another table.

"she was a sad case and she carried a chip on her shoulder the size of mount Everest"

As Slade Wilson continued the conversation with Beast boy about Tara all the bad memories of his relationship started surfacing up making him snap.

"you taught her to hate us."

Slade Wilson responded with the following.

"give me a break, she hated everyone…. I have never seen anyone like her before….. trust me I know my fare share of scum…. so don't think she felt anything for you but hate….. she was incapable of loving anyone. Moreover she used people to get back at all of the villains in her life."

Visibly relaxing Beast boy started to chuckle a bit before getting up and readying himself to leave.

" I actually can believe that part… I'll be covering my side of the check, so consider us even."

Slade a little surprised just asked.

"you're not gonna try and fight me or arrest me?"

Beast boy sighed before answering back.

"believe me for a while I thought of nothing but killing you for what you did to her… but after a while I got help from my friends….so it didn't matter anymore."

Slade just raised his eyebrow while answering.

"you'd forgive me if I don't take your word on that."

Beast boy just softly smiled as he answered.

"i want you to understand, everyone I cared about has died, so the last thing I want is to keep that cycle going."

Slade Wilson allowed himself to laugh a little and smile.

"it took me a while before I realized that you're good… one of the better ones, even if you act like a clown from time to time… now get going your friend is still waiting for you outside."

Beast boy a little surprised wanted to ask how he knew before reminding himself who he was talking with, however before he left he turned around to ask.

"what about the contract?"

Slade only replied with.

"it's null and void….. take care of yourself kid"

Beast boy was about to leave before remembering something.

"Tell Rose I'm sorry I didn't call back."

At that Slade Wilson allowed himself a full blown chuckle answering.

"you can relax you're not her type… besides nothing came out of it anyway… still if you're in Africa, drop by"

Beast boy gave Slade Wilson a knowing smirk before he left the place, spotting Raven at the entrance he signaled her that he was finished and ready to go home.

" Rose?… have you finally found a normal girl do date?"

Beast boy just smirked at that saying.

"what's normal in our world anyway?…. by the way I can't help but detect a small jealous tone in your voice."

Raven huffed a little with a small hint of a grin on her face.

"well it's only normal for a 'wife' to get jealous every now and then."

Beast boy just chuckled as he suggested to Raven that they would take the scenic route home to which she replied with.

"sure thing darling…whatever you so desire"

Beast boy was taken a little bit off before saying.

"don't take it the wrong way but can you talk like you usually do?"

Raven grinning like a Cheshire cat just asked.

"you mean normal?"

Beast boy just grinned back giving her a small peck on her mouth silently saying.

'yes'

Raven in return allowed herself to kiss him for a while longer even at the small risk that her powers would cause minor damage, on the other hand though she did devote herself to taking a strong grip on her powers, so the risk was worth it.

As Beast boy and raven continued walking down the streets of Jump City Towards Titans tower, for the first time in a while he really took every sight, smell and sound in, even the uncomfortable ones. One of those sounds he was hearing though was the song Broken Wings by Mister Mister to whichhe started dancing a little while walking.

"that's my favorite song too."

Beast boy smiled sweetly at her while replying.

"really?, I could have sworn Self Control by Laura Braningan"

Raven smirked a little at that.

"while I do like it I can't help but feel that this song gives me a reason to keep on living"

Beast boy was now smirking a big green while playfully rolling his eyes answering with.

"oh thank you for a moment I thought it was me."

At that Raven playfully jabbed him in his arm silently saying 'it is' as both teens kept on walking towards home, a little while later both of them felt a light chill in the air causing them to shiver.

" did you feel that?"

Beast boy answered with.

"i want to say yes, but I don't want to jinx this moment….. besides maybe we just need to start wearing coats…"

Raven groaned at the last comment as Beast boy began running after her, trying to catch up as she walked ahead.

"come on it wasn't that bad…"

 **Fin**


End file.
